Transfer of iodine from soil to cereal grains in agricultural areas of Austria

The concentrations of iodine in cereal grains cultivated at 38 locations in Austria from cereal-producing sites in agricultural areas and soil-to-grai n transfer factors (TF) were determined. The concentrations of iodine in ce real grains, which were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation analys is ranged from 0.002 to 0.03 mug g(-1), the arithmetic mean and the median were 0.0061 mug g(-1) and 0.0046 mug g(-1), respectively. The TF values for cereal grains were calculated to be 0.0005-0.02 and the median was 0.0016. The TF values correlated positively with the iodine concentrations in cere al grains. However, the TF values correlated negatively with the iodine con centrations in soils as well as with the amount of clay contents of soils. The TF values were almost independent on pH values (5.4-7.6) of soils. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.