Varietal difference in radiocesium uptake and transfer from radiocesium deposited soils in the genus Amaranthus

Abstract

Within Amaranthaceae, 33 different varieties, including local varieties from Japan, were grown in 2012 in a field in the town of Iino in the Fukushima prefecture, which is located approximately 51 km north of Tokyo Electric Power Company, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP). The contamination level of the soil was 2770 ± 140 Bq kg⁻¹ dry weight (¹³⁴Cesium (Cs) + ¹³⁷Cs, average ± SE), and the field was also cultivated in 2011. There was a significant varietal difference in the dry weight production, radiocesium accumulation and transfer factor (TF) of radiocesium from the soil to the plant. The ratio of the lowest TF to the highest TF was approximately 3. Because the ratio of ¹³⁷Cs to ¹³³Cs was significantly positive, radiocesium seems to be absorbed in a manner similar to that of ¹³³Cs. It is suggested that the varietal difference in the behavior of radiocesium uptake mainly depends on its genetic background rather than on environmental factors.

Key words:

• Amaranthaceae
• radiocesium
• screening
• transfer factor

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Corrigendum

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are thankful for the supply of Amaranthus seeds (origin of US National Plant Germplasm System) by Dr. David Brenner, Iowa State University, Plant Introduction Station, through the US National Plant Germplasm System, and also appreciate the supply of A. retroflexus and several local varieties seeds from Dr. Mutsumi Yamagami, Institute for Environmental Sciences, and the Mexico and K4 lines from Dr. Naoki Ogata, National Institute of Crop Science. A portion of this study was supported by the Mitsui & Co., Ltd. Environment Fund. We are grateful to Drs. Tetsuro Mimura, Mari Mimura, Chiyo Komiyama and Akira Kitamura (Kobe University) for assistance with the radioisotope measurements. We also thank Ms. Atsuko Uchida, NARO Hokkaido Agricultural Research Center, for the sample preparation.