Transfer factors of 90Sr and 137Cs from paddy soil to the rice plant in Taiwan

Activity distribution of 90Sr, 137Cs and 40K in rice plant collected in one location of Taiwan were measured using radiochemical analysis and gamma-ray spectrometry in 1982. About 51% of 90Sr in rice plant was found to be accumulatlated in leaves (old: 28%, young: 23%), but 137Cs and 40K were found to be concentrated in the growing parts of the rice plant such as rachis, fine hull and young leaves. Besides, another rice and soil samples of 12 locations in Taiwan were also collected in 1981 for the determination of the transfer factors of 90Sr and 137Cs from soil to the edible parts of the rice plant. The transfer factors from soil to the coarse hull, fine hull, brown rice and polished rice were determined to be 0.30 ± 0.06 (0.09-0.76), 0.45 ± 0.09 (0.09-1.06), 0.086 ± 0.017 (0.027-0.222) and 0.037 ± 0.009 (0.005-0.088) for 90Sr and 0.38 ± 0.04 (0.12-0.63), 0.85 ± 0.13 (0.19-1.58), 0.14 ± 0.02 (0.07-0.27), 0.097 ± 0.014 (0.03-0.188) for 137Cs, respectively.