Plutonium uptake by plants from soil containing plutonium-238 dioxide particles. Final report

Technical Report · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:7294469

Brown, K W; McFarlane, J C

Three plant species--alfalfa, lettuce, and radishes were grown in soils contaminated with plutonium-238 dioxide (238)PuO2 at concentrations of 23, 69, 92, and 342 nanocuries per gram (nCi/g). The length of exposure varied from 60 days for the lettuce and radishes to 358 days for the alfalfa. The magnitude of plutonium incorporation as indicated by the discrimination ratios for these species, after being exposed to the relatively insoluble PuO2, was similar to previously reported data using different chemical forms of plutonium. Evidence indicates that the predominant factor in plutonium uptake by plants may involve the chelation of plutonium contained in the soils by the action of compounds such as citric acid and/or other similar chelating agents released from the plant roots.

• Research Organization: Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, Nev. (USA). Environmental Monitoring and Support Lab.
• OSTI ID: 7294469
• Report Number(s): PB-268000; EPA-600/3-77/052
• 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 COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALFALFA
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOMASS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHELATING AGENTS
ECOLOGY
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FOOD
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LEGUMINOSAE
LETTUCE
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PLUTONIUM DIOXIDE
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
PLUTONIUM OXIDES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADISHES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
ROOT ABSORPTION
ROOTS
SOILS
SOLUBILITY
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
UPTAKE
VEGETABLES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES