Journal Article

PreJuSER-111954

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Effects of low-level radioactive soil contamination and sterilization on the degradation of radiolabeled wheat straw

Niedree, B.FZJ* ; Vereecken, H.FZJ* ; Burauel, P.FZJ*

2012
Elsevier New York, NY [u.a.]

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Please use a persistent id in citations: doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2011.12.018

Abstract: After the explosion of reactor 4 in the nuclear power plant near Chernobyl, huge agricultural areas became contaminated with radionuclides. In this study, we want to elucidate whether (137)Cs and (90)Sr affect microorganisms and their community structure and functions in agricultural soil. For this purpose, the mineralization of radiolabeled wheat straw was examined in lab-scale microcosms. Native soils and autoclaved and reinoculated soils were incubated for 70 days at 20 °C. After incubation, the microbial community structure was compared via 16S and 18S rDNA denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The radioactive contamination with (137)Cs and (90)Sr was found to have little effect on community structure and no effect on the straw mineralization. The autoclaving and reinoculation of soil had a strong influence on the mineralization and the community structure. Additionally we analyzed the effect of soil treatment on mineralization and community composition. It can be concluded that other environmental factors (such as changing content of dissolved organic carbon) are much stronger regulating factors in the mineralization of wheat straw and that low-level radiation only plays a minor role.

Keyword(s): Base Sequence (MeSH) ; DNA Primers (MeSH) ; DNA, Ribosomal: analysis (MeSH) ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel (MeSH) ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S: analysis (MeSH) ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S: analysis (MeSH) ; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive: analysis (MeSH) ; Triticum: chemistry (MeSH) ; Triticum: genetics (MeSH) ; DNA Primers ; DNA, Ribosomal ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S ; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive ; J ; Mineralization (auto) ; Wheat straw (auto) ; Cs-137 (auto) ; Sr-90 (auto) ; C-14 (auto) ; Chernobyl (auto)

Note: This work was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under contract number 02NUK002E, KVSF. We would like to thank Eberhard Kuemmerle for calculating the dose rates. Furthermore, we would like to thank Sascha Sokolowsky for preparing the DGGE gels, Sirgit Kummer and Werner Mittelstaedt for their help in the laboratory, Wolfgang Tappe and Nicolai Jablonowski for fruitful discussions and Janet Carter-Sigglow and Hazel Burlet for linguistic revision.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Agrosphäre (IBG-3)

Research Program(s):

1. Terrestrische Umwelt (P24)

Appears in the scientific report 2012

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Database coverage:
; BIOSIS Previews ; Current Contents - Agriculture, Biology and Environmental Sciences ; JCR ; Nationallizenz ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection ; Zoological Record

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