Properties of two tropical soils in relation to the transport of radionuclides in the rhizosphere.

The uptake of radionuclides by commercial crops is being studied at two sites, Blain and Tippera, in a research farm in the Northern Territory, Australia. Studies have been performed to characterise the properties of the two soils, particularly the hydraulic properties that are considered to significantly influence the transport and plant uptake of these radionuclides in the soils The Blain soil, a sandy loam, has been categorised as SM according to the Unified Soil Classification System. Quartz is the dominant mineral for the Blain soil. The Tippera soil, a kaolinitic clayey loam has been categorised as CL. Chemical analysis results were consistent with these findings. The saturated hydraulic conductivity values were of the order of 10(-4) cm/s for the Blain soil. These values were greater by 3-4 orders of magnitude than those for the Tippera soils. The results obtained from the hydraulic property measurements were used to estimate the unsaturated hydraulic properties. A bimodal description based on van Genuchten-type partial saturation functions was used for the estimation. The estimation was qualitatively consistent with the soil types.