Radionuclide distribution in soils of the Corumbataí River Basin, São Paulo State, Brazil

oleh: Fabiano Tomazini da Conceição, Daniel Marcos Bonotto, Jairo Roberto Jiménez-Rueda, José A. Frutuoso Roveda

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Sociedade Brasileira de Geoquímica 2017-05-01

Deskripsi

The use of phosphate fertilizers in sugar cane crops is a very common practice in Brazilian agriculture and, as a consequence, the 226Ra, 292Th and 40K activity concentration in soils may increase and become readily available for plants and transferred to the human food chain. In the southern part of the Corumbatai River Basin, São Paulo State, Brazil, high values for radiometric exposure have been identified. It is a region where phosphate fertilizers, soil correctors and vinasse are applied to improve sugar cane crops. Radionuclides incorporated in phosphate fertilizers and amendments are annually added at a rate of 0.16, 0.17 and 6.33 Bqkg of soil to 226Ra, 232Th and 40K, respectively. The radionuclide activity concentration and Ra values are higher in a soil profile with application of phosphate fertilizers and amendments. The 232Th and 226Ra activity concentration in sugar was lower than the detection limit of the analytical technique utilized in this work and the 40K intake is lower than the guideline value for the daily ingestion of this radionuclide.