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THE DISTRIBUTION OF STRONTIUM-90 AND CESIUM-137 AMONG VARIOUS ECOLOGICAL COMPONENTS (in Russian)

Journal Article · · Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R.
OSTI ID:4820356

Aqueous solutions of Sr/sup 90/ (10 mc) and Cs/sup 137/ (15 mc) were percolated into 1 m/sup 2/ of soil through 81 openings 1, 5, 10 and l5 cm deep in order to obtain a uniform distribution of activity in the top, l5 cm layer of soil. The weight and activity in the biomass above ground and below ground, of the forest litter, and of the soil at depths of 0 to 15 cm, l5 to 20 cm, 20 to 25 cm and 25 to 30 cm were determined after the passage of three vegetative periods of growth. The biomass above ground contained 0.13 and 0.19%, and the roots of the underground biomass contained 0.11 and 0.13% of the total amount of Sr/sup 90/ used on two different plots in the Il'menskii National Park in the South Urals. The accumulation of Cs/sup 137/ is much smaller, 0.007% for the biomass above ground, and 0.0l1 to 0.021% for the root system. The litter was found to contain 0.5 to 3% of the total Sr/sup 90/ and Cs/sup 137/ activity. The accumulation of Sr/sup 90/ and Cs/sup 137/ by various plants is presented as the ratio of activity in the above-ground part of the plant to the concentration of activity in the root system, and as the ratio of activity of 1 gram of dry plant material to the activity in one gram of soil. On the average the accumulation of Sr/sup 90/ by the plants is larger than of Cs/sup 137/ by an order of magnitude. The ratio of activity in one gram of plant material to the activty in one gram of soil varies from 0.00l to 0.5 for Cs/sup 137/, and from 0.01 to 5 for Sr/sup 90/. This ratio is greater than one for Sr/sup 90/ in 10 out of 16 plants tested. Pine and larch accumulate the least amount of Cs/sup 137/ and Sr/sup 90/ with a ratio of 0.01 for Cs/sup 137/ and a ratio of 0.1 for Sr/sup 90/. The aspen (Populus tremula) shows a ratio of 0.0l for Cs/sup 137 and of 0.60 for Sr/sup 90/. Moss and mullein (Verbascum sp.) absorb Cs/sup 137/ preferentially (activity ratio of 2 to 6 for mullein). The roots of the crowfoot (Rannnculus sp.), veronica, and legumes absorb Sr/sup 90/ preferentially with an activty ratio of 5.4, 1.2 and 3.4 respectively. However, in general, Cs/sup 137/ is adsorbed by the root system, and Sr/sup 90/ by the above-ground part of the plant. (TTT)

Research Organization:
Biophysics Lab., Urals Branch, Academy of Sciences, SSSR
NSA Number:
NSA-16-004377
OSTI ID:
4820356
Journal Information:
Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R., Journal Name: Doklady Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. Vol. Vol: 140
Country of Publication:
Country unknown/Code not available
Language:
Russian

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