Phytoremediation of chernobyl contaminated land

Most of the land within a 10 km radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant is still heavily contaminated by the 1986 accident. In 1998, a 3 year investigation of the potential of willow vegetation systems to stabilise the contaminated land and thereby reduce the dispersion of radionuclides was initiated under the PHYTOR project. During the first year, a number of screening tests were carried out on the contaminated flood plain of the river Pripyat. Survival of new willow plantations was tested at several locations. Except for the predominantly moist peaty soil in the vicinity of Yanov (where survival was nearly 100%), survival was low (0-30%). Notwithstanding, willows are found everywhere on the Pripyat flood plains: 7-8 year old plantations exist on the upper terraces and 1-2 year old saplings cover the newly deposited alluvial sands. For these willows radiocaesium transfer factors ranged from 10^-4 and 10^-3 m².kg^-1 and strontium transfer factors from 10^-3 and 10^-2 m².kg^-1. Biomass production was low: 70-100 kg.ha^-1.y^-1. Therefore, the radionuclide immobilisation in the biomass was insignificant. Even when based on the exchangeable caesium fraction, less than 0.1% for radiocaesium and less than 1% for radiostrontium became incorporated into the wood. Nevertheless, establishment of willow would reduce resuspension and erosion of soil and sediment.