Cesium-137 accumulation in higher plants before and after Chernobyl

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Environment International; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-4120(90)90156-Z· OSTI ID:6405207

Sawidis, T; Drossos, E; Papastefanou, C ^[1]; Heinrick, G ^[2]

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1. Aristotle Univ. of Thessaloniki (Greece)
2. Institut fuer Pflanzenphysiologie der Universitaet, Graz (Austria)

Cesium-137 concentrations in plant species of three biotypes of northern Greece, differing in location as well as in vegetation, are reported following the Chernobyl reactor accident. The cesium uptake by plants was due to the foliar deposition rather than the root uptake. The highest level of cesium in plants was found in Ranunculus sardous, a pubescent plant. The {sup 137}Cs concentration was about 22kBq kg{sup {minus}1}d.w. A high level of cesium was also found in Salix alba ({sup 137}Cs: 19.6 kBq kg{sup {minus}1} d.w.), a deciduous tree showing that hairy leaves or leaves having rough and large surfaces can absorb greater amounts of radioactivity (surface effect). A comparison is also made between the results of measurements of the present study and the results of measurements of some herbarium plants collected one year before the accident as well as the results of measurements of some new plants grown and collected one year after the accident resulting in a natural removal rate of {sup 137}Cs in plants varying from 14 to 130 days.

• OSTI ID: 6405207
• Journal Information: Environment International; (USA), Vol. 16:2; ISSN 0160-4120
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
CESIUM 137
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
PLANTS
CONTAMINATION
TREES
ABSORPTION
CHERNOBYLSK-4 REACTOR
DATA COMPILATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCT RELEASE
GREECE
LEAVES
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
SAMPLING
TRANSFRONTIER CONTAMINATION
ACCIDENTS
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EASTERN EUROPE
ENRICHED URANIUM REACTORS
EUROPE
GRAPHITE MODERATED REACTORS
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LWGR TYPE REACTORS
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
POWER REACTORS
RADIOISOTOPES
REACTORS
THERMAL REACTORS
WATER COOLED REACTORS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540230* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)