Uptake of plutonium from soils contaminated by a nuclear fuel chemical separations facility
1981
MCLEOD, K. W. | Adriano, D. C. | Ciravolo, T. G.
A greenhouse experiment investigated factors influencing root uptake of Pu by agricultural crops from soils receiving effluents from a nuclear fuel chemical separations facility. Results indicate that uptake of Pu and Pu from soil was very low (concentration ratio of 10 or lower). Large differences in Pu soil concentrations did not produce uptake differences, indicating that uptake was independent of soil concentrations in this case. Both liming the soil and chelate addition to limed soils produced only very slight differences in uptake of Pu. Plutonium concentrations in clover and soybean were similar or slightly higher than those for corn, wheat, and bahiagrass. Reproductive parts of these crops had similar concentrations of Pu to their corresponding vegetative parts. Only very minimal quantities (<10 fCi/g dry weight) of Pu were incorporated into edible portions of crops grown in soil containing 5 pCi Pu/g and would pose little health hazard to man if ingested.
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