Soils contaminated with
radionuclides, particularly super(137)Cs and super(90)Sr, pose a long-term radiation
hazard to human health through exposure via the food chain and other pathways.
Remediation of radionuclide-contaminated soils has become increasingly important.
Removal of the contaminated surface soil (often up to 40 cm) or immobilization
of radionuclides in soils by applying mineral and chemical amendments are physically
difficult and not likely cost-effective in practicality. Reducing plant uptake
of radionuclides, especially super(137)Cs and super(90)Sr by competitive cations
contained in chemical fertilizers has the general advantage in large scale,
low-level contamination incidents on arable land, and has been widely practiced
in central and Western Europe after the Chernobyl accident. Phytoextraction
of radionuclides by specific plant species from contaminated sites has rapidly
stimulated interest among industrialists as well as academics, and is considered
to be a promising bio-remediation method. This paper examines the existing remediation
approaches and discusses phytoextraction of radionuclides from contaminated
soils in detail.