Radionuclides accumulation by plants in hydroponics and in soil pots under conditions of hyperarid desert climate.

Authors

Jihen Jalali, Olivier Péron, Abdesselam Abdelouas, Thierry Lebeau, Ahmed K Alkaabi, Yacine Addad, Prasoon Raj, Noor Faraj, Raed Alamoodi, Irené Saayman, Mohamed Bagahizel, Abdulla Alhameli

Published in

Journal of environmental radioactivity. Volume 300. Pages 108209. Nov 01, 2026. Epub Nov 01, 2026.

Abstract

Radionuclides (RN) transfer from soil to plants in arid environments is sparsely documented, limiting the availability of baseline data for understanding RN uptake in arid environments. This study investigated the uptake, accumulation, and translocation of radioactive (³H, ¹⁴C, ⁶⁰Co, ¹³⁷Cs, ²³⁸U, ²⁴¹Am) and stable isotopes (⁸⁸Sr, ¹²⁷I) by two plant species: the native grass Cenchrus ciliaris and the crop plant Solanum lycopersicum. Experiments were conducted in hydroponics and with sandy soils simulating hyperarid environments of the United Arab Emirates. After exposure to each multielement mixture, soil-to-plant transfer factors (TF), translocation factors, and accumulation profiles in plants were determined. Plant uptake was generally higher under hydroponic than soil conditions, indicating a strong influence of the growth medium on element availability. C. ciliaris showed substantial root accumulation, with TF values reaching 46 for ¹⁴C, 39 for ⁸⁸Sr, and 28 for ¹³⁷Cs. In contrast, S. lycopersicum exhibited lower uptake, and showed visible symptoms of plant stress, including chlorosis and necrosis. In sandy soil, lower RN uptake was observed due to reduced mobility, yet C. ciliaris maintained TF > 1 for most of the studied elements. Roots represented the primary site of RN accumulation for both species particularly in soil conditions highlighting its potential for phytostabilisation. Translocation factors values indicated limited translocation to aerial parts for both species, particularly in soil conditions. This study provides new data on RN transfer in hyperarid environments and identifies C. ciliaris as a species of interest for further evaluation in radionuclide monitoring and phytomanagement studies under such conditions. These findings contribute to improving the understanding of radionuclide soil-plant transfer in hyperarid environments and may support future environmental radioactivity assessments in these regions.

PMID:
42967457
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 02 Nov 2026.

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