A. TECHNICAL PROGRESS REPORT ON THE UPTAKE OF STRONTIUM BY VARIOUS TYPE CROPS AND FACTORS AFFECTING UPTAKE AND TRANSLOCATION OF STRONTIUM AND CALCIUM NATIVE TO SOIL

Technical Report · Tue Oct 31 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4073194

The effects of various crop residues, soil amendments, and certain agricultural chemicals on the movement of strontium through soil columns which were intermittently leached with water were studied in order to obtain basic information for the control of contamination of soils by radiostrontium. The movement into soil of radioactive calcium, strontium, and phosphorus from contaminated crop residues which came in contact with the soil was also investigated. A calcareous desert soil, Superstitlon sand, was selected for use in this study. The elements were applied to the surface or mixed into the upper one inch of the soil both in organic crop resldues or as inorgmic acids or salts. The calcium, phosphorus, and strontlum moved through the soil more readily when they were incorporated in orgadic residues than when applied as inorganic salts or acids. Moreover, applied inorganic strontium as well as soil calcium moved most readily where acetic acid, CaCl/sub 2/, Si(NO/sub 3/)/sub 2/, or organic residue were applied. A duplicate experiment employing Tucson sandy loam was carried out for comparative purposes. The effectiveness of various amendments upon the leachability of labeled strontium incressed in the following order: none, irrigation water, elemental sulfur, disodium EDTA, gypsum, calcium chloride, acetic acid, and strontium nitrate. The movement of indiganous soil calcium was almost quantitatively slmilar in both soils. In order to determine if the exchange of radiostrontium for calcium in the crystal lattice is of importance in calcareous soils, the exchange of radiostrontium and also radiocalcium with caliche of several particle sizes was studied. After 24 hrs about 20% of the labeled strontium and 6% of the labeled calcium remained in solution. (M.C.G.)

• Research Organization: Arizona. Agricultural Experiment Station, Tucson; and Arizona. Univ., Tucson
• NSA Number: NSA-15-020494
• OSTI ID: 4073194
• Report Number(s): TID-12897
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ACETIC ACID
ACIDS
AGRICULTURE
BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
CALCIUM ISOTOPES
CEREALS
CONTAMINATION
METABOLISM
PHOSPHORUS ISOTOPES
SALTS
SOILS
SOLUTIONS
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
STRONTIUM NITRATES
SULFUR
WATER