Soil to plant transfer factor (TF) of radionuclides is an important input parameter in dose assessment models. The wide range of TF for each radionuclide reported in the literature for a particular plant type indicates that radionuclide concentration in soil is not the only factor influencing its uptake by the plant. Different soil properties and agricultural practices may influence the TF and these are also a function of the climate. Considering the wide variation in TF data, here we attempt to review the available literature on TF of radionuclides in tropical countries of the Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka). TF under equilibrium conditions are not available for all radionuclides, in such cases TF of naturally existing stable analogs elements were compiled. With an emphasis on, transfer of radionuclides from soil to the edible compartment of the plant; the TF data for 21 elements are compiled for 12 plant groups classified as per IAEA, Technical Reports Series No. 472. The article also presents the analysis and discussion of the extent and limitations of the compiled data. The compiled TF may be useful in assessing the food chain transfer of radionuclides when site-specific information is not available.

放射性核素的土壤到植物转移因子 (TF) 是剂量评估模型中的重要输入参数。文献中针对特定植物类型报道的每种放射性核素的 TF 范围很广，这表明土壤中的放射性核素浓度并不是影响其被植物吸收的唯一因素。不同的土壤特性和农业实践可能会影响 TF，这些也是气候的函数。考虑到 TF 数据的广泛差异，我们在此尝试回顾有关印度次大陆热带国家（印度、孟加拉国和斯里兰卡）放射性核素 TF 的现有文献。平衡条件下的 TF 不适用于所有放射性核素，在这种情况下，编译了天然存在的稳定类似物元素的 TF。重点强调，放射性核素从土壤转移到植物的可食用隔间；21 种元素的 TF 数据是针对 IAEA 技术报告系列第 472 号分类的 12 个工厂组编制的。本文还介绍了对编制数据范围和局限性的分析和讨论。当特定地点信息不可用时，编译的 TF 可能有助于评估放射性核素的食物链转移。