Organically bound tritium formation and translocation in crop plants modelling and experimental results

Journal Article · Sun Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1995 · Fusion Technology

OSTI ID:196736

Strack, S; Diabate, S; Mueller, J; Raskob, W ^[1]

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1. Forscgungszentrum Karlsruhe (Germany)

For estimations of the digestion dose of tritium the dynamic behaviour of organically bound tritium (OBT) is studied in the framework of safety considerations for the nuclear fusion technology. In diet relevant plants, such as wheat, the formation of OBT and the subsequent translocation into the seeds till the time of harvest have been investigated in chamber experiments. Sets of field data on photosynthesis, transpiration and stomatal resistances at individual plants during several vegetation periods have been collected by gas exchange measurements. These data were used to test the recently developed model `Plant-OBT`. The paper analyses the results of comparisons between calculated and observed tritium concentrations in wheat plants after short-term exposures to atmospheric tritiated water (HTO). While the final OBT concentrations in the grains can be simulated efficiently, the modelling of the OBT formation and turnover processes in the leaves seems unsatisfactory so far. The unsolved problems in the recent OBT modelling approach are discussed. 4 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 196736
• Report Number(s): CONF-950506--
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology, Journal Name: Fusion Technology Journal Issue: 3 pt 1 Vol. 28; ISSN 0748-1896; ISSN FUSTE8
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ABUNDANCE
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CROPS
DOSIMETRY
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
RADIATION EFFECTS
TRITIUM
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TRITIUM OXIDES