Behavior of cesium-137 in some Brazilian oxisols

Cesium-137 (Cs-137) soil-to-plant transfer factors obtained in an accidentally contaminated Oxisol in Goiania and another Oxisol experimentally contaminated show that these soils present higher transfer of Cs-137 from soil to plants than previously observed in temperate climates. These differences were discussed in the light of the pedology and geochemical partitioning. Some tropical soil characteristics. such as acidity, low availability of nutritive elements and low content of 2:1 clay type may account for the high mobility for Cs-137 even after a long period after contamination. Results of sequential extraction showed that most of the Cs-137 is bound to soil oxides.