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PLUTONIUM UPTAKE BY PLANTS GROWN IN SOLUTION CULTURE
Citation:
McFarlane, J., A. Batterman, AND K. Brown. PLUTONIUM UPTAKE BY PLANTS GROWN IN SOLUTION CULTURE. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/3-78/081 (NTIS PB296902).
Description:
Plants grown in aquatic systems were shown to rapidly accumulate large amounts of plutonium, about 40% of which was removed by washing. Detergent removed debris, most of which consisted of particles larger than 0.8 micrometers. After removing a portion of the bound Pu by rinsing in DTPA, additional Pu was removed by a citric acid rinse. This implies that more than one type of Pu binding to plant roots exists or that more than one chemical form of Pu was present. The high Pu concentration on plant roots did not facilitate uptake and translocation to aerial portions of the plant: discrimination ratios were similar to those typically found in terrestrial studies. Plant with filamentous root systems are suggested as possible scavengers for Pu in aquatic systems.