Transfer of 238U and 232Th from soil to plant in a high background radiation area of the southwestern region of Cameroon

Abstract

In order to estimate the soil-to-plant transfer factors (TFs) of some natural radionuclides, the activity of ²³⁸U and ²³²Th was measured in the soil and in agricultural crop samples collected from identified high background radiation areas in the southwestern region of Cameroon. The results showed that the ²³⁸U and ²³²Th TFs values were in the ranges 1.0×10⁻²-12.2×10⁻¹ kg kg⁻¹ and 5.0×10⁻²-9.7×10⁻¹ kg kg⁻¹, respectively. These computed TFs values were found to be globally higher than those proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency.