AGRICULTURAL COUNTERMEASURES FOR IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF
CROPS GROWN ON SOILS POLLUTED BY HEAVY METALS AND RADIONUCLIDES
Nataliya GRYTSYUK1 and Gerassimos ARAPIS2
1
2
Ukrainian Institute of Agricultural Radiology, Kiev, Ukraine
Laboratory of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural University of Athens,
Greece
This work presents the effectiveness of various agricultural practices used as
countermeasures, in order to decrease the root uptake of pollutants (heavy metals and
radionuclides) by different crops cultivated on polluted soils. Micro-field experiments have
been carried out during five years on three types of soil: chernozem, soddy-podzolic and peat
bog, on abandoned lands after Chernobyl accident due to high radioactive contamination.
These soils are typical in Eastern Europe and differ significantly in their morphological and
agrochemical properties. The main radionuclide of the studied fields is 137Cs and, in addition,
four heavy metals (copper, cadmium, lead and zinc) were applied in the experiments. Potatoes
and forage crops (clover and perennial cereal grasses), were chosen as experimental plants.
These crops differ significantly by their botanical and physiological properties and occupy an
important link in the human food chain. The following measures were applied: 1) radical
improvement of meadows, based on deep ploughing and application of fertilizers; 2) liming
of soil; 3) mineral fertilizers; 4) sapropel (organic fertilizer) and 5) Agrovit-Cor (combined
fertilizer).
The obtained results show that radical improvement of meadows is the most efficient
countermeasure, decreasing up to 4,4 times the root uptake of 137Cs by grasses on peat bog
soil, and up to 2,2 times the uptake of Pb on soddy podzolic soil. Protective properties of the
improvement of meadows were found to be higher on the 2nd year and they decreased (1,1-1,3
times) on the 5th year. Liming is efficient mainly on acid soils (peat bog), decreasing 137Cs
uptake by grasses and clover up to 1,8 and 1,2 times respectively. Concerning heavy metals,
liming decreases the uptake of Zn on peat bog soil and of Cd on chernozem, up to 1,8 times
for grass. This countermeasure is slightly more efficient for clover, decreasing Cd and Zn
uptakes up to 1,9 times on peat bog soils. Application of mineral fertilizers shows its high
efficacy in 137Cs uptake by potatoes grown on peat bog soil (2,3 times). For heavy metals this
countermeasure can be beneficial for controlling Zn uptake by clover (1,8 times of reduction)
and potatoes (1,6 times), grown both on peat bog soil. However mineral fertilizers can
increase the accumulation of heavy metals, as it was observed in several cases of this
experiment (i.e. Cd uptake by potatoes on soddy podzolic soil and Pb uptake by clover on
chernozem soil are increased 2 times). Sapropel application reduced the accumulation of 137Cs
(2 times) in grasses on peat bog soil and of Zn (1,8 times) in potatoes grown on chernozem.
Agrivit-Cor application was effective in most cases, reaching noticeable reduction of 137Cs
uptake by potatoes and grasses (2,6 times) and clover (2,8 times) on peat bog soil. Regarding
heavy metals, a reduction ranging from 2 to 2,2 was also observed in many cases of this
application (i.e. Cu and Cd in potatoes and Pb in grasses, grown both on soddy podzolic soil).
Approbation of Agrivit-Cor has shown that it is a combined fertiliser of long-term action
increasing fertility of poor soils and decreasing heavy metals and caesium content in
agricultural production.