Assessment Of Natural Radionuclides Activity And Heavy Metals Concentration In Paddy Plants And Their Influencing Factors In Penang, Malaysia
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Date
2017-01
Authors
Al-Saffar, Mohammed Saad
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Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This research focus on the measurement of natural radioactivity and heavy metals in rice (Oryza sativa) and its surrounding media, which include agriculture soil and irrigation water. In order to determine the absorption of these metals by rice, the usage of fertilizers and the physico-chemical features of soil, such as pH, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity, organic matter, and soil texture were also studied. Rice and soil samples were acquired from 23 different areas in Penang, and the water specimens were retrieved from the main rivers of the study area. Laboratory studies were performed on 3 common fertilizers and uptake of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K by rice grain using potted plants at 3 growth stages. The activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in the water, rice and corresponding soil samples were analyzed by gamma-ray spectroscopy (HPGe). The presence of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in the rice and soil samples were investigated by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), whereas the concentration of these metals in water samples were examined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in paddy soil were 83.85, 108.11 and 403.76 Bq kg-1, respectively. The average 226Ra and 232Th concentrations were higher than the global average (32 and 45 Bq kg-1, respectively), whereas that of 40K was lower than the world average (420 Bq kg-1). However, the mean values of these radionuclides were consistent with the prior ranges of concentration in Malaysia. In the rice plant, the mean concentrations of 226Ra in root, straw, husk and grain were 7.80, 5.04, 2.32 and 1.42 Bq kg-1, respectively.
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Keywords
Measurement of natural radioactivity and heavy metals in rice , which include agriculture soil and irrigation water