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Radioactivity of Selected Agricultural Soils in Croatia: Effects of Soil Properties, Soil Management, and Geological Parameters

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Abstract

We present a study on the radioactivity of selected Croatian agricultural soils that vary considerably with respect to geological background; physical, chemical, and biological characteristics; soil type; land use; and soil management. Our investigation is focused on the main naturally occurring radionuclides (40K, 238U, 226Ra, 232Th, 235U) and 137Cs as the most threatening long-lived anthropogenic radionuclide. We find that the radioactivity level is not influenced by the application of different soil amendments, at least in moderate quantities, and that no effect of soil management can be detected as well. In contrast, geological and location-specific properties influence radionuclide content in soil, especially regarding the naturally occurring ones. Moreover, physical and chemical soil properties such as texture and soil adsorption complex, respectively, seem to be the main factors regarding fixation of 137Cs in soil. Calculated dose rates for external exposure to the gamma radiation originating from soil have been found to be generally low, except for two locations where they are higher but not at a level that would lead to health problems for workers on the field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska cesta 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Marko Šoštarić & Dinko Babić

  2. Department of General Agronomy, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Svetošimunska cesta 25, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia

    Željka Zgorelec, Ivana Šestak, Ivica Kisić, Milan Mesić & Aleksandra Perčin

Authors
  1. Marko Šoštarić
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  2. Željka Zgorelec
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  3. Dinko Babić
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  4. Ivana Šestak
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  5. Ivica Kisić
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  6. Milan Mesić
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  7. Aleksandra Perčin
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Correspondence to Željka Zgorelec.

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Šoštarić, M., Zgorelec, Ž., Babić, D. et al. Radioactivity of Selected Agricultural Soils in Croatia: Effects of Soil Properties, Soil Management, and Geological Parameters. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 218 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3398-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3398-1

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