Uptake of plutonium-238 by plants grown under field condition as affected by one year of weathering and aging

Conference · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7245508

Cline, J F; Hinds, W T

Less /sup 238/Pu was concentrated in the seeds than in the vegetative parts in all plant species. Leaves contained more /sup 238/Pu than the stem or pods, and the monocots had lower concentrations of /sup 238/Pu in their tissues than the dicots. Irrigation of plants affected the uptake of /sup 238/Pu, especially on the year-to-year changes in the amount of the element accumulated in the plant parts. Several more years of data must be analyzed to determine if this phenomenon is real. Soil profiles must be studied to determine what configuration changes may occur in the /sup 238/Pu in the soil. Other investigators show that soil microbes change the chemical form of plutonium in the soil and the organic complexes that are formed are more available for plant uptake.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: E(45-1)-1830
• OSTI ID: 7245508
• Report Number(s): BNWL-SA-5649; CONF-760652-4
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560173* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AGE DEPENDENCE
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMASS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
IRRIGATION
ISOTOPES
LEAVES
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
PLANT STEMS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SEEDS
UPTAKE
WEATHER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES