Absorption of Radioceasium in Soybean

Abstract

Radioactive materials, primarily radiocesium (134 Cs + 137 Cs), were released into the environment by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in March 2011. The percentage of soybean plants that had a concentration of radiocesium over 100 Bq/kg was higher than that of other crops. To examine the reason why the concentration of radiocesium in soybeans was high, its concentration and distribution in seeds were analyzed and compared to rice. Potassium fertilization is one of the most effective countermeasures to reduce the radiocesium uptake by soybean and nitrogen fertilizer promotes soybean growth. To use potassium and nitrogen fertilizers safely and efficiently, applied potassium behavior in soil and the effect of nitrogen fertilizer on radiocesium absorption in soybean were studied.