Abstract
The differences in radiocaesium uptake between species were analysed in a series of solution culture and pot trials. Since radiocaesium uptake is very sensitive to the solution potassium (K) concentration, it was hypothesised that species depleting K in the rhizosphere to a larger extent, will have a higher radiocaesium uptake. Five species (bean, lettuce, winter barley, ryegrass and bentgrass) were grown for 18–21 days in nutrient solution spiked with 137Cs and at 4 K concentrations between 0.025 and 1.0 mM. Shoot 137Cs activities all decreased between 17- and 81-fold with increasing K supply. Shoot 137Cs activities were 4-fold different between species at the lowest K supply and 3.4-fold different at high K supply. The same five species were grown in two 134Cs spiked soils with contrasting exchangeable K but similar clay content. Shoot 134Cs activities were up to 19-fold higher in the soil with lowest exchangeable K. Differences in shoot activity concentrations between the species were only 4.5-fold in the high K soil, but were 15-fold in the low K soil. Bulk soil solution 134Cs and K concentration data were combined with radiocaesium uptake characteristics measured in solution culture to predict radiocaesium uptake from soil. Predictions were within 1.6-fold of observations in the high K soil but largely underestimated 134Cs uptake in lettuce, ryegrass and barley in the low K soil. A solute transport model was used to estimate K and radiocaesium concentrations in the rhizosphere. These calculations confirmed the assumption that higher radiocaesium uptake is found for species that deplete K in the rhizosphere to a larger extent.
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Waegeneers, N., Camps, M., Smolders, E. et al. Genotypic effects in phytoavailability of radiocaesium are pronounced at low K intensities in soil. Plant and Soil 235, 11–20 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011882621798
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1011882621798