Why NNC RK specialists need the greenhouse?

Study into the features of radionuclides redistribution among natural environment components is one of the directions of scientific researches which are performed in the National Nuclear Center of RK. Part of the studies takes place in laboratories, namely in a new biological building, that this greenhouse is part of.

Different cultivars of lettuce, cucumber, pepper, cabbage and other crops are planted in the greenhouse. Despite that it is winter, the necessary conditions are arranged for plants blooming and ripening inside the greenhouse: enough ultraviolet light is provided by special phyto-lamps, which also enable to regulate amount of ultraviolet light, according to an experiment conditions, and special humidometer helps to measure moisture in soil.

Plants are set either to soil containing high radionuclide concentration, or to “clean soil”, but irrigated by water containing high concentration of technogenic radionuclides. This is made to determine parameters of radionuclides transfer from different medium to plants. Later the transfer parameters are applied for predicting possible radionuclides content in plants or crop products at the STS area, adjacent and other areas with complicated radiation situation. Besides, the transfer parameters are required for different prediction models for evaluation of all kinds of risks for plants and organisms consuming the plants, including human being.

In general, any studies are possible in the greenhouse to include impact of various factors or fertilizers to radionuclides transfer to plants and plant production, and therefore, develop methods to reduce radionuclides transfer in them, or vice versa methods to increase radionuclides intake (for instance, for phyto-remediation)