SREL Reprint #2575

A comparison of 9OSr and 137Cs uptake in plants via three pathways at two Chernobyl-contaminated sites

M. A. Malek, T. G. Hinton, and S. B. Webb

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E, Aiken, SC 29802, USA

Abstract: Foliar absorption of resuspended 9OSr, root uptake and contamination adhering to leaf surfaces (i.e. soil loading) were compared at two Chernobyl-contaminated sites, Chistogalovka and Polesskoye. Although foliar absorption of resuspended 9OSr was quantifiable, its contribution amounted to less than 10% of the plants' total, above-ground contamination. Root uptake was 200 times greater than foliar absorption at the near-field site of Chistogalovka and eight times greater at Polesskoye, where the fallout consisted of the more soluble condensation-type, rather than fuel particles. Strontium's bioavailability exceeded that of 137Cs (analyzed in the same plants) by orders of magnitude when compared using concentration ratios. Simplistic, cumulative effective dose calculations for humans ingesting 90Sr- and 137Cs-contaminated plants revealed that the dose at Chistogalovka was greater from 90Sr (185 mSv vs. 3 mSv from 137Cs), while at Polesskoye the dose from 137Cs (66mSv) was 30 times greater than from 9OSr (2 mSv).

Keywords: Foliar absorption; Resuspension; Soil loading; 137Cs; 90Sr; Root uptake; Risk

SREL Reprint #2575

Malek, M.A., T.G. Hinton, and S.B. Webb. 2002. A comparison of 90Sr and 137Cs uptake in plants via three pathways at two Chernobyl-contaminated sites. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 58:129-141.

This information was provided by the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (srel.uga.edu).