The skim and burial plough: A new implement for reclamation of radioactively contaminated land

Radionuclides accidentally released to the atmosphere in severe nuclear accidents can give rise to widespread radioactive contamination of land. If no remedial action is taken, the contamination may constitute a long-term external radiation hazard. Similarly, agricultural and dairy produce from the contaminated land may be a source of internal radiation. A newly developed agricultural implement named the 'skim and burial' plough has been built and tested and shown to be an effective countermeasure against both of these potential hazards but without the disadvantages of some other land reclamation methods. The new plough skims off a shallow layer of the contaminated top soil and buries it at a depth of about 45 cm without inverting the 5-45 cm horizon. The results are that radiation levels at the soil surface are greatly reduced, the contamination becomes much less available for plant uptake and in most cases there is little or no effect on soil quality. The efficacy of the new plough has been demonstrated under particularly severe field conditions.