SREL Reprint #0410
Uptake
of Radiocesium from Contaminated Floodplain Sediments by Herbaceous Plants
Rebecca
R. Sharitz, Stefani L. Scott, John E. Pinder III and Stephen K. Woods
Abstract
Levels of radiocesium contamination in Sagittaria
latifolia Willd. and Polygonum punctatum Ell., two
herbaceous plant species sampled from Steel Creek on the AEC Savannah River
Plant, are not correlated with total radiocesium concentrations in the soils
upon which they were growing. Soils showed a bimodal distribution of radiocesium
contamination and were thus divided into low level and high level classes. With
only one exception, plants from high and low level soils did not demonstrate
significant differences in radiocesium contaminations. Concentration of
radiocesium in leaves of Sagittaria latifolia was higher in plants
growing on low level soils than on high level soils. Significant correlations
were observed between radiocesium levels in component parts of the same plants;
however, highest correlations occurred between similar components of
near-neighbor plants of the same species. Uptake of radiocesium by these two
species appears to be related to factors other than the total soil concentration
of the isotope.
SREL Reprint #0410
Sharitz, R.R., S.L. Scott, J.E. Pinder III, and
S.K.
Woods. 1975. Uptake of radiocesium from contaminated
floodplain sediments by herbaceous plants. Health Physics
28:23-28.
