The absorption of atmospheric radionuclides by soybean plants was experimentally studied using a radioactive multitracer consisting of radionuclides of Sc, Mn, Co, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Y, Eu, Gd, Yb, Hf, Re, and Ir. The soybean plants were cultivated in soil under no-rain conditions in a box containing air in which multitracer-absorbed cellulose particles were dispersed. The soil was covered with plastic film. After about one-month cultivation, the plants were harvested and washed with dilute HCl solution. The leaves, stems, and beans were subjected to γ-ray measurement. The radionuclides of As, Se, and Re were accumulated in the leaves, and those of Co, Se, and Rb were accumulated in the beans. Among them Se was accumulated to a large extent in the leaves and in the beans. Small amounts of the radionuclides of Co, Se, Rb and Re were found in the roots. Little absorption of these radionuclides into the soil occurred. These results indicate that various radionuclides in the atmosphere were absorbed through the soybean leaves and then transported to the seeds. These findings must be taken into consideration for a complete understanding of the system of uptake of radionuclides by the soybean plant.

The work reported here deals with the study of interception/deposition and translocation of ⁸⁵Sr, ¹³¹I, and¹³⁷ Cs in three different types of vegetables i.e. beans (Phasoolus vulgaris), spinach (Spinicia olericia) and radish (Raphanous sative) following redionuclides release to the environment. Activity was injected in the experimental chamber in the form of aerosols having a size distribution of 0.3–1.0 µm (AMAD). Plant samples were collected soon after the injection for the evaluation of interception/deposition factors (IF/DF) for the different parts of the plants, as well as for the whole plant and the washable fraction of the deposited activity and its variation with time. The evaluated IF/DF shows a minimum value of 0.12 m³ kg⁻¹ for ⁸⁵Sr in case of spinach whole plant and maximum value of 1.93 m³ kg⁻¹ for ¹³¹I in case of beans whole plant. Translocation factors (TF) have also been evaluated for the activity that migrates from the above soil plant parts to the root and its variation with time. The evaluated TF shows a range of 7.27 × 10⁻³ to 136 × 10⁻³.