uranium in fertiliser: overview

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uranium in fertiliser: overview

All soils and plants contain uranium, thorium and radium.In soil, uranium is naturally occurring. It enters plant tissue throughabsorption from the soil and atmosphere.

All phosphate rock contains uranium.

Phosphate rock is used in a processed form as Superphosphate and in anunprocessed form as Reactive Phosphate Rock (RPR). Traditional farmersmost commonly use superphosphate, while a number of RPR blends havebeen approved for use by organic farmers.

Research undertaken in many countries has shown that crops grown in soilfertilised with phosphate rock for greater than 50 years do not have higherconcentrations of uranium than crops grown in non fertilised soil. Thissuggests that plant uptake of uranium from phosphate fertiliser is minimal.

The radiation dose received by individuals from food is very low and doesnot pose a threat to human health. Radiation from food contributes toabout 5% of the total background radiation dose for humans.

The United States Food and Drug Administration estimates uranium in foodcontributes about 0.1% to the total cancer risk for individuals.

New Zealand soils contain low levels of uranium.

New Zealand phosphate fertilisers have low levels of uranium.

While uranium in phosphate fertiliser will add to the natural level ofuranium in soil, in New Zealand it would take nearly 150 years to doublethe uranium level. Even then, New Zealand soils would have the samerating as United States soils have today.

Conclusion

Uranium traces in soil and plants is a natural occurrence.

While the levels of uranium are increasing, they represent no threat to humanhealth.

Uranium levels in New Zealand soils are between a third and a half of what theyare in Russia, the United States and Britain.

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Nitrogen fertiliserstrategies for sheep andbeef farmers

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Nitrogen use - dairyfarms

Phosphate poisoning

Radiation in phosphaterocks

Reactivity of BG4 -Moroccan RPR

Relative agronomiceffectiveness of rpr's

Sulphur

Total amounts ofnutrients in soils inrelation to soil tests

The importance ofscientifically designedtrials

Timing of N fertiliser forspring growthRangataiki Plains

Uranium in fertiliser:Overview

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http://www.ballance.co.nz/fsuranium.html Go JAN FEB JUN

282002 2003 2004

9 captures28 Feb 03 - 28 Sep 06

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uranium in fertiliser: overview file:///Volumes/Jonathan/Documents/Agriculture/Uranium/fsu...

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