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Toxics
Special Issues
Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment
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Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment

A special issue of Toxics (ISSN 2305-6304). This special issue belongs to the section "Metals and Radioactive Substances".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2027 | Viewed by 3335

Editor

Prof. Dr. Alexei Konoplev

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institute of Environmental Radioactivity, Fukushima University, Fukushima 960-1296, Japan
2. Laboratory of Geochemistry of Natural Waters, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
Interests: environmental chemistry; radioecology; behaviour of radionuclides in the environment; water quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The ease with which radionuclide moves through the environment and is taken up by plants and animals is determined by its chemical forms and site-specific environmental characteristics. The peculiarities in climate, geomorphology and radionuclide speciation in the fallout were demonstrated to lead to differences in their migration rates in the environment and rates of its natural attenuation.

The aim of the Special Issue is to set up a collection of research articles and reviews that cover the wide research area of speciation of artificial radionuclides in the environment and its transformation; radionuclide sorption–desorption; fixation and remobilization processes in soil–water systems; radionuclide wash-off from contaminated catchments to rivers and lakes; river transport to seas/oceans; radionuclide bioavailability and transfer to plants and biota; long-term dynamics of radionuclides in environmental compartments; empirical, semi-empirical and numerical modeling of artificial radionuclide’s behavior in the environment; and remediation and decontamination technologies for contaminated land. The objectives of the Special Issue and potential content are interdisciplinary (soil science and chemistry, hydrochemistry, ecotoxicology, environmental chemistry, radioecology, hydrology, environmental modeling, etc.) and in line with the scope of Toxics in the field “The occurrence, transport, and fate of chemicals and materials in different systems (e.g., food, air, water, soil)”.

Prof. Dr. Alexei Konoplev
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Toxics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • radionuclides
  • speciation
  • transformation
  • environment
  • transport

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6454 KB  
Article
Transfer of 137Cs into Maize (Zea mays L.) at Different Growth Stages in the Area Contaminated by the Chernobyl Chornobyl Fallout
by Tatiana Paramonova, Olga Denisova, Natalia Kuzmenkova, Leonid Turykhin, Maria Godyaeva and Alexei Konoplev
Toxics 2026, 14(8), 714; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14080714 - 12 Aug 2026
Viewed by 280
Abstract
Accumulation of radionuclides in crop products can pose public health risks. Parameters of 137Cs root uptake by maize were investigated at four growth stages, from leaf development to ripening (June–September), in the post-Chornobyl area of the Plavsk radioactive hotspot (the Tula region [...] Read more.
Accumulation of radionuclides in crop products can pose public health risks. Parameters of 137Cs root uptake by maize were investigated at four growth stages, from leaf development to ripening (June–September), in the post-Chornobyl area of the Plavsk radioactive hotspot (the Tula region of Russia). It was established that the chernozem of the agrosystem still contains about 180 kBq 137Cs m−2. Seasonal trends of 137Cs activity concentrations in above- and belowground parts of maize differ appreciably. In aerial parts, the 137Cs accumulation rate increases as vegetative organs develop from June to July, then drops when generative organs appear in August. In the belowground biomass, the 137Cs content increases with the growth of fine roots, which serve as relative concentrators of the radionuclide. However, at all stages of growth, radionuclide transfer to maize occurs with low intensity. It does not directly depend on changes in biomass, dry matter content, or 40K content, and only slightly relates to the ash content. The transfer factor is estimated to be 6.2 × 10−3 for cob kernels (grain) and 3.8 × 10−2 for stems and leaves, which corresponds to the IAEA-recommended values and ensures acceptable levels of 137Cs accumulation in crop products produced in the territory. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment)
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51 pages, 622 KB  
Article
RadSed-INT: A Scenario-Aware Protocol for Radioactivity Assessment in Dynamic Beach Sediments
by Sebastiano Ettore Spoto, Roberta Somma and Antonio Trifirò
Toxics 2026, 14(7), 590; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14070590 - 3 Jul 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 601
Abstract
Beach sediments may contain natural radionuclides, fallout-derived radionuclides, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) or technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM), but their radiological significance depends on sediment dynamics and exposure scenario as much as on bulk activity concentration. RadSed-INT is introduced as [...] Read more.
Beach sediments may contain natural radionuclides, fallout-derived radionuclides, naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) or technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive material (TENORM), but their radiological significance depends on sediment dynamics and exposure scenario as much as on bulk activity concentration. RadSed-INT is introduced as a tiered field–laboratory protocol for assessing radioactivity in dynamic beach sediments. The protocol links in situ gamma screening, statistically designed transects, primary/confirmatory A/B sampling, high-purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometry, grain-size and heavy-mineral partitioning, vertical mini-core radiostratigraphy, and triggered dust, radon/thoron and ingestion pathway modules. Its central requirement is radiometric mass closure between directly measured bulk activity and the mass-weighted reconstruction from sediment fractions. External and internal doses are evaluated only for explicitly defined material status, exposure pathways, occupancy assumptions and regulatory domains; construction-material and NORM indices are retained as context-specific comparators, not universal beach-sediment limits. RadSed-INT defines escalation triggers from reconnaissance to confirmatory spatial, grain-size, vertical or aerosol investigations. This article is methodological and does not report new primary field data. Extended notation, a date-sensitive regulatory matrix, confounder checklists, implementation tables and a minimal worked example are included to support transparent and reproducible application of the core protocol logic. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment)
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23 pages, 671 KB  
Article
Radionuclide and Trace Element Distribution in Grey Wolves (Canis lupus): Implications for Environmental Contamination and Transfer in Terrestrial Ecosystems
by Maja Lazarus, Božena Skoko, Mikael Hult, Tatjana Orct, Maja Ferenčaković, Ivana Coha, Josip Kusak, Slaven Reljić, Gerd Marissens and Heiko Stroh
Toxics 2026, 14(5), 425; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14050425 - 12 May 2026
Viewed by 793
Abstract
Anthropogenic pollution may impose additional pressure on European populations of large protected carnivores due to the systemic toxicity of contaminants such as cadmium, lead, and radiocaesium (137Cs). Our aim was to carry out 137Cs, radiopotassium (40K), and stable [...] Read more.
Anthropogenic pollution may impose additional pressure on European populations of large protected carnivores due to the systemic toxicity of contaminants such as cadmium, lead, and radiocaesium (137Cs). Our aim was to carry out 137Cs, radiopotassium (40K), and stable element distribution analysis through seven tissues of grey wolves (Canis lupus) from temperate forests of Croatia using ultra-low background gamma-ray spectrometry and ICPMS, respectively. In addition, radiolead (210Pb) massic activity was quantified in femoral bone. The massic activity of 137Cs in the heart, kidney, liver, spleen, lungs, and femoral bone (in decreasing order) ranged from 9–61% relative to muscle and showed strong inter-tissue correlations. However, correlations between radionuclides and their stable analogues in wolf tissues indicated considerable uncertainty in the use of stable element data for radiological risk assessment. In addition, concentration ratios (CRwhole organism-soil) derived from stable element data should be applied with caution when radionuclide data are lacking. Overall, radionuclide activities and element levels not subject to homeostatic regulation in grey wolves were comparable to or lower than those reported for other populations, particularly those from sub-Arctic regions. Despite being apex terrestrial predators, wolves inhabiting temperate ecosystems do not currently appear to be at risk of adverse health effects from exposure to the most relevant inorganic anthropogenic pollutants. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment)
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19 pages, 12036 KB  
Article
The Long-Term Dynamics of the Particulate 137Cs Supply from Eroded Arable Slopes During the Post-Chernobyl Period
by Maksim M. Ivanov, Polina Fominykh, Nadezhda Ivanova, Sergei Krasnov and Valentin Golosov
Toxics 2026, 14(4), 344; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics14040344 - 19 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1031
Abstract
In rural areas affected by Chernobyl, accelerated erosion has become a major source of particulate 137Cs in sediment load. The long-term dynamics of the activity concentration in eroded soil material transported from individual slope catchments can be better understood by exploring the [...] Read more.
In rural areas affected by Chernobyl, accelerated erosion has become a major source of particulate 137Cs in sediment load. The long-term dynamics of the activity concentration in eroded soil material transported from individual slope catchments can be better understood by exploring the 137Cs depth distribution in sediments deposited near cultivated fields. This study focuses on three cultivated slope catchments located in the Chernobyl-affected area of Central Russia. A depth incremental campaign was conducted within zones of sediment accumulation in 2022–2025. The behavior of radiocaesium associated with particles after the Chernobyl accident was controlled by the prompt implementation of remediation measures. Shortly after the accident, the values decreased by more than two times. The radionuclide flux then began to depend on soil erosion processes. Gradually, the thickness of the upper soil that had been eroded became large enough to allow soil material from deeper layers to be involved during ordinary plowing and led to a subsequent decrease in the 137Cs activity concentration. Given the decreasing snowmelt runoff and lack of increase in high-intensity rainfall in the 21st century, the activity concentration of 137Cs in slope runoff has remained quite stable. This phenomenon requires consideration of whether a physically based model for the transport of particulate radionuclides should be developed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Radioactive Contamination and Its Impact on the Environment)
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