Effect of waste mica on transfer factors of 134Cs to spinach and lettuce

A greenhouse pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of graded levels of waste mica (0, 10,20 and 40 g kg(-1)) on reducing the radiocesium uptake by spinach (Spinacia olerecea L) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) grown in Cs-134-contaminated (at 37 k Bq kg(-1) soil) Inceptisols, Vertisols and Ultisols. The biomass yield, and potassium content and its uptake by crops have been significantly improved by waste mica application. The crops grown in Vertisols recorded higher biomass yield, and K content and its uptake as compared with Inceptisols and Ultisols. The average Cs-134 transfer factor values recorded were : 0.21, 0.17 and 0.26 at the first cutting, 0.15, 0.12 and 0.28 at the second cutting and 0.07, 0.05 and 0.23 at the third cutting from Inceptisols, Vertisols and Ultisols, respectively. Waste mica significantly suppressed radiocesium uptake, the effect being more pronounced at 40 g mica kg(-1) soil. There exists an inverse relationship between the Cs-134 transfer factors with plant potassium content and also the K uptake by the crops.