Abstract
THE entry of radioactive materials into the food-chain from soils contaminated by intentional or accidental explosion of atomic devices is a potential hazard worthy of considerable attention. Once deposited in the soil, the isotopes are taken up by plants from which they may pass directly to man or to animals and then to man. Within the body, serious damage can result from levels of radioactive material that would be trivial as a source of external radiation. Much research has been done to find ways of reducing the movement of radioactive isotopes into plants. Because of its relative abundance, long half-life, and site of deposition in the body, strontium-90 has received more attention than other fission products. Factors known to influence strontium-90 uptake from contaminated soils are soil type, organic matter content, method of cultivation, calcium content, and fertility level1,2. A number of investigators3,4 have reported that plant species differ in amount of strontium-90 that they accumulate from the soil and that plant parts may differ in content of strontium-90.
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RASMUSSON, D., SMITH, L. & MYERS, W. Role of the Genotype in Controlling Accumulation of Strontium-89 by Plants. Nature 198, 1008 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/1981008a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1981008a0
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