COUNTERMEASURES AGAINST THE EFFECTS OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION.

It is particularly  important to reduce the effects of contamination on land used to produce food. The following methods are particularly useful:

1. PLOUGHING to dilute the top layer of soil.

-in undisturbed soil, 98% of all radioactivity remains in the top 5cm of soil, even after 4 years.

- this is particularly effective for reducing the effects of caesium contamination.

2. ADD LIME (Calcium Hydroxide) to Acidic Soils.

-this dilutes the ⁹⁰Sr with calcium ions, and hence reduces the amount of  ⁹⁰Sr transferred to plants.

- if the addition of lime is followed by an addition of potassium salts, the rate of uptake of  ¹³⁷Cs is greatly reduced.

3. ADD ORGANIC AND MINERAL FERTILIZERS, especially those containing potassium and phosphorous.

-potassium effectively reduces caesium contamination.

-phosphates bind Strontium and other highly charged isotopes.

4. RESEED NATURAL MEADOWS with high yield grass.

-high yield grasses preferentially take up the most accessible minerals from the soil. They therefore absorb potassium more than caesium and have a lower level of radioactivity.

5. SELECT ARABLE CROPS with a low tendency to absorb the worst isotopes.

-for example, grow oats on light soils, and  rye on clay soils to minimise ¹³⁷Cs uptake.

6. PROCESS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS to remove the most contaminated parts.

-for example, butter contains <10% of the radioactivity present in milk.

7. CONTROL FEEDING OF FARM ANIMALS:

-minimise the use of contaminated feed.

-add absorbent mineral silicates to cattle feed to reduce the uptake of radioactivity.