Radionuclides and heavy metals in agroecosystems of the Central Black Earth Region of Russia: monitoring and assessment (Belgorod region)

The purpose of the study was to conduct an agroecological assessment of the content of heavy metals and arsenic, as well as the specific activity of natural and artificial radionuclides in leached, typical, ordinary chernozems and plant products in the Belgorod region. In the course of research, it was found that the variation in the studied soils of the specific activity of potassium-40 is 460–714, thorium-232 – 30.4–59.7, radium-226 – 11.3–28.5 Bq/kg. In 2023–2024, the maximum limits of variation of the specific activity of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in soils did not exceed 43.8 and 5.0 Bq/kg, respectively. The concentration in soils of acid-soluble forms of zinc, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury varied in the intervals of 23.2–52.5, 7.7–14.2, 3.15–7.13, 0.15–0.41, 0.015–0.035 mg/kg, respectively. In common chernozems, the average specific activity of thorium-232, as well as the concentration of acid-soluble forms of zinc, arsenic and cadmium, was significantly higher than in leached chernozems, which is due to the lighter particle size distribution of the latter. The content of mobile forms of heavy metals by subtypes of chernozems did not differ significantly and varied within: zinc – 0.23–0.70, lead – 0.28–0.73, cadmium – 0.02–0.08 mg/kg. No excess of the APC and MPC of the studied elements in soils was detected. In the studied agricultural plants, the specific activity of cesium-137, strontium-90, as well as the content of zinc, lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury were below the maximum permissible values regulated for food and feed products.

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