title: Gamma-spectrometric measurement of radioactivity in agricultural soils of the Lombardia region, northern Italy.
abstract: This work is part of a wider monitoring project of the agricultural soils in Lombardia, which aims to build a database of topsoil properties and the potentially toxic elements, organic pollutants and gamma emitting radionuclides that the topsoils contain. A total of 156 agricultural soils were sampled according to the LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area frame statistical Survey) standard procedure. The aim was to provide a baseline to document the conditions present at the time of sampling. The results of the project concerning soil radioactivity are presented here. The aim was to assess the content of (238)U, (232)Th, (137)Cs and (40)K by measuring soil samples by gamma spectrometry. (238)U, (232)Th and (40)K activities range 24-231, 20-70, and 242-1434 Bq kg(-1) respectively. The geographic distribution of (238)U reflects the geophysical framework of the Lombardia region: the soils with high content of uranium are distributed for the most part in the South Alpine belt, where the presence of magmatic rocks is widespread. These soils show an higher activity of (238)U than of (232)Th. The (238)U activities become lower than (232)Th when soils are located in the plain, originating from basic sedimentary rocks. (137)Cs activity ranges 0.4-86.8 kBq m(-2). The lowest activity of (137)Cs is in the plain, whereas the highest is in the North on soils kept as lawn or pasture. The (137)Cs activity of some samples suggests the presence of accumulation processes that lead to (137)Cs enriched soils. This is the first survey of gamma emitting radionuclides in Lombardia that is based on the LUCAS standard sampling. The results from this monitoring campaign are important for the human radiation exposure and provide the zero point, which will be useful for assessing future effects due to external factors such as human activities.
authors: Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Guidotti
authors: Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy. Electronic address: franca.carini@unicatt.it.
authors: Franca
authors: F
authors: Carini
authors: AEIFORIA Srl Spin-off of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy. Electronic address: riccardo.rossi@aeiforia.eu.
authors: Riccardo
authors: R
authors: Rossi
authors: Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Gatti
authors: BIO-BIO, Via Collina 13, 21023 Besozzo, Varese, Italy. Electronic address: roberto.cenci50@gmail.com.
authors: Roberto M
authors: RM
authors: Cenci
authors: Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Facoltà di Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Ambientali, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy.
authors: Gian Maria
authors: GM
authors: Beone
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D007558:Italy; D011834:Radiation Monitoring; D012016:Reference Values; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D013051:Spectrometry, Gamma
chemical_list: D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
keywords: (137)Cs; (232)Th; (238)U; Agricultural soil; LUCAS sampling; Monitoring