Evaluation of the radioactive Cs concentration in brown rice based on the K nutritional status of shoots

• Published in: Journal of plant research Vol. 127; no. 1; pp. 73 - 78
• Main Authors: Sekimoto, Hitoshi, Yamada, Takashi, Hotsuki, Tomoe, Fujiwara, Toru, Mimura, Tetsuro, Matsuzaki, Akio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tokyo Springer Japan 01.01.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cesium; Cesium Radioisotopes - analysis; Cesium Radioisotopes - metabolism; Fukushima Nuclear Accident; Japan; JPR Symposium; Life Sciences; Nuclear accidents & safety; Nuclear Power Plants; Nutritional status; Oryza - chemistry; Oryza - drug effects; Oryza - metabolism; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Ecology; Plant Leaves - chemistry; Plant Leaves - drug effects; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant Shoots - chemistry; Plant Shoots - drug effects; Plant Shoots - metabolism; Plant Stems - chemistry; Plant Stems - drug effects; Plant Stems - metabolism; Potassium Radioisotopes - analysis; Potassium Radioisotopes - metabolism; Radiation Monitoring; Radioactive materials; Rice; Seeds - chemistry; Seeds - drug effects; Seeds - metabolism; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - metabolism; Japan; Fukushima Japan; Plant nutritional diagnosis; K; Cs concentration ratio; Radioactive Cs; K nutritional status
• ISSN: 0918-9440; 1618-0860
• DOI: 10.1007/s10265-013-0614-y

The radioactive cesium ( 134,137 Cs) concentration in brown rice is correlated with that in the straw/husk. The distribution of 134,137 Cs, resembles that of potassium (K), a homologous element of Cs, in the rice plant body. The relative isotopic abundance of 40 K is 0.0117 %; thus, 1 g K contains 30.4 Bq 40 K, and the mass of 4,000 Bq 40 K is 0.0154 g, indicating that the K concentration can be calculated from 40 K concentration. We examined if the radioactive Cs concentration in brown rice can be estimated from 40 K concentrations in straw, and especially might be predicted from the 40 K: 134,137 Cs ratio in straw. We determined the concentrations of 40 K and radioactive Cs in straw and brown rice, and found a strong correlated-equation (y = 72.922 x −0.759 ; r  = 0.907) between the radioactive Cs concentration in brown rice and the 40 K: 134,137 Cs ratio in straw. The estimated-radioactive Cs concentration in brown rice can be as much as double, depending on the K nutritional status changing the 40 K: 134,137 Cs ratio in straw. We herein propose a nutritional diagnosis that radioactive Cs concentrations in brown rice can be predicted from the 40 K: 134,137 Cs ratio in shoots.