Time‐dependent Leaching of Radium from Leaves and Soil

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Abstract
The accumulation of Ra or other radionuclides in vegetation via root uptake depends on the availability and uptake rate from soil, in addition to the rate of loss from the leaves due to natural leaching processes. We conducted studies to determine the time‐dependent leachable fraction of 226Ra from soil as a function of time after soil spiking and the loss rate of internal 226Ra from leaves due to leaching by exposure to natural field conditions. The leachable fraction of Ra from spiked soil decreased exponentially over time to a value of 0.1% after approximately 28 d. The internal Ra activity in leaves decreased exponentially to 40% of the original activity after 1 yr of exposure to outdoor conditions in a semiarid environment. The relationship of these two phenomena to the accumulation of Ra in plants via root uptake is illustrated by the equilibrium solution of a first‐order differential equation.
Funding Information
  • U.S. Dep. of Energy (DE-AC02-79EV10305)

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