Uptake of tritium by plants from atmosphere and soil

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Environment International

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-4120(91)90334-M· OSTI ID:978730

Amano, H ^[1]; Garten, Jr, Charles T ^[2]

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1. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI)
2. ORNL

Uptake of tritiated water (HTO) by plants was examined under field conditions when tritium was available to leaves from only the atmosphere and when tritium was available from both the soil (root uptake) and the atmosphere. Maple, oak, and elm trees, planted in clean soil, were transported to a tritium-contaminated forest, where the atmospheric tritium concentration was elevated, to examine HTO uptake by tree leaves when the source was only in the atmosphere. The results partially agreed with a diffusion model of tritium uptake by plants. Discrepancies found between predicted and measured leaf HTO/air HTO ratios should be attributed to the existence of some isolated water, which is isolated from the transpiration stream in the leaves, that was not available for rapid turnover. The uptake of tritium by trees, when the source was both in the soil and atmosphere, was also examined using deciduous trees (maple and elm) resident to the tritium-contaminated forest. The results were in agreement with a prediction model.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 978730
• Journal Information: Environment International, Journal Name: Environment International Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 17; ISSN ENVIDV; ISSN 0160-4120
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DECIDUOUS TREES
DIFFUSION
FORECASTING
SOILS
TRANSPIRATION
TREES
TRITIUM
TRITIUM OXIDES
WATER