UPTAKE AND DISTRIBUTION OF Pit, Am, Cm, AND Np 363 



the growing seasons. Super phosphate (P2O5) was also added to the alfalfa containers at a 

 rate of about 250 kg/ha. 



Aboveground plant parts were hand harvested at maturity and divided into selected 

 components. The entire cheatgrass plant, separated from other plant species that had 

 invaded the containers, was analyzed. Barley seeds were analyzed separately from the rest 

 of the plant. Peas, harvested at the dry-seed stage, were divided into seeds, leaves, and 

 stem and pod fragments for analysis. The entire alfalfa plant (three separate harvests) was 

 analyzed. Radiochemical analyses (Major et al., 1973; Wessman et al., 1978) of the plant 

 materials were conducted by the LFE Environmental Analysis Laboratory, Richmond, 

 Calif. 



Radiochemical analysis of the control plants was used to determine the net uptake of 

 transuranics by the plants in the amended soil. The radionuclide concentration observed 

 in the treatment plants was corrected by subtracting the corresponding values of the 

 control plant parts. 



Results 



Results of the radiochemical analyses are summarized in Tables 1 and 2. The data are 

 presented as a ratio of the concentration of the radionuclide in the vegetative part to the 

 total amount of that radionucUde added to the 3.4 kg of soil. The ratio can be used to 

 compare the relative uptake values of the five different radionuclides into the various 

 parts of the four plant species. Since the contaminated soil in this study was covered with 

 a 10-cm layer of clean soil, these values are not to be regarded as concentration ratios 

 (CR). Concentration ratio values are normally calculated by dividing the concentration of 

 the vegetation (activity per unit dry weight) by the concentration of the top 10 to 20 cm 

 of soil (also in activity per unit dry weiglit). 



TABLE 1 Relative Uptake of Transuranium Elements by Cheatgrass and Alfalfa 



$n = 4. 



