Soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs and 90Sr at Kaiga region, India

Transfer factors are the most important parameters required for mathematical modeling used for environmental impact assessment of radioactive contamination in the environment. In this paper soil to leaf transfer factor for the radionuclides 40K, 226Ra, 137Cs and 90Sr is estimated for Kaiga region in Karnataka state, India. Among the plants in which study is carried out, 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs and 90Sr activity in leaves of herbaceous plants is higher than that of tree leaves. Soil to leaf transfer factor for 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs and 90Sr was found to be in the range of 0.03–0.65, 0.32–8.04, 0.05–3.03 and 0.42–2.67 respectively.

► Study region is Kaiga, Karnataka, India.
► 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs and 90Sr activity in soil and leaf samples are reported.
► 226Ra, 40K, 137Cs activity is higher in herbaceous plant leaves, than tree leaves.
► In most of the plants transfer factor varies in the order K > Sr > Cs > Ra.