Concentration Ratios for Cesium and Strontium in Produce Near Los Alamos

Abstract

The ratios of the concentrations of radionuclides in produce (fruits, vegetables, and grains) to the concentrations in the soil have been measured for cesium and strontium at locations near Los Alamos. The Soil, Foodstuffs, and Biota Team of the Meteorology and Air Quality Group of the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) obtained the data at locations within a radius of 50 miles of LANL. The concentration ratios are in good agreement with previous measurements: 0.01 to 0.06 for cesium-137 and 0.1 to 0.5 for strontium-90 (wet-weight basis).

Site-Representative Biota Concentration Guides at Los Alamos

“…The concentration ratio for strontium-90 has been measured at and near Los Alamos (Fresquez 1997, Salazar 2006 For edible crop tissues, the ratios of wet-weight vegetation to soil are consistently less than 1 (Salazar 2006.) However, Fresquez 1997 reported a ratio of 4 for the non-edible tissues of pinto beans.…”

Biota Dose Assessment at LANL for 2012

“…For example, cesium bioaccumulates in locations that are deficient in potassium, and strontium or radium bio-accumulate in locations that are deficient in calcium. In contrast, the LANL environment is rich in potassium and calcium (McNaughton 2008(McNaughton , 2013 Cesium and strontium have been studied in the LANL environment (Salazar 2006) though radium has not.…”

“…Strontium is also chemically similar to calcium, and strontium is also absorbed when calcium concentrations are low. This possibility was studied and reported in McNaughton et al 2013 andSalazar 2006, with the conclusion that the plant-to-soil concentration ratio for strontium is approximately unity.…”