Table I.
T.

RESULTS

Flow chart of 2397p yt4 preparation procedure.
REMOVAL OF ORGANIC MATTER
A.

Place Pu solution in HNO, solution

B.

Evaporate to dryness.

D.

Do not bake residue.
Repeat Step I C.

C.
E.

Total organic carbon

in beaker.

Do not bake residue.

Dissolve residue in 2 ml con. HNO,.
Add 2 ml 30% H,05 to residue.

Evaporate to dryness.

Evaporate to dryness.

Do

not bake residue.

II.

F.
G.

Repeat Step I E.
Add 2 ml con. HNO,.

H.

residue.
Repeat Step I G.

B.

with stirring.

B.

Heat 30 min, (light boil, 400°C) for 30 min.

Cool.

Add 0.2 ml

0.5 M KMnO4.

Heat for 30 min.

(250°C).

which contained 36% of the TOC had no significant

~

A similar trend was observed for 237py uptake by A. hydrophila (Table 4).
Both F I and F II reduced 237pu uptake below that in TSB medium alone.
As
with S. obliguus F Ili did not significantly affect 237py uptake by A. hydrophila,

plutonium was

Less than 5% of the

lost by plating to glass flasks with plating

flasks containing organics.

losses

less in

cells,

a.

Add 1 M Fe {NH2504) 4 dropwise with stirring until solution is

B.

Stir 30 min.

Add 0.25 mi

1 M Fe (NH5503) 5.

Add 4 ml 1 M’NaNO,.

B.

Heat for

Cc.

Wash into 25 ml

the uptake studies.

30 min.

A.

Add 8 ml

B.

Pass solution 3 ehrough column (5 ml volumes) Dowex

to solution

C.

20-50 mesh resin.
Collect effluent.

Wash beaker with

was adjusted to 4.5, which is typical of many southeastern surface waters such
as Skinface Pond.
While Put4 self polymerization has been observed, this
phenomenon was probably not a major Pu transformation in this study.
Poly-

(R)

2 ml

8 N HNO,.

-1lx 4,
Pass washes

merization is directly proportional

tional to pH (Rouston et al.,

1976).

Wash column with 100 ml 0.5 N HNO,.

534

Collect effluent as Put’.

to Pu concentration and inversely propor-

Many investigators have studied the effects of humic and fulvic compounds on
trace metal uptake by phytoplankton

Repeat VI C,

ELUTE Put4 FROM ANION EXCHANGE COLUMN

A.

The environmental chemistry of Pu is also pH dependant

(Rouston et al., 1976), as is the complexation chemistry of humic acids
(Stevenson and Ardakani, 1972).
For this reason the pH of experimental media

8N HNO, -

ADSORB Pu’* ONTO ANION EXCHANGE COLUMN
(HNO, )

Uptake does not imply an active mechanism and no attempt was made to

determine if 237pu was associated with the surface or interior of cells.

Oxidation state may be important in determining the physical and chemical
reactions which Pu will undergo in the environment (Rouston et al.,
1976).
Wahlgren et al. (1976) reported Put4 to be the predominant oxidation state
in Lake Michigan water.
For this reason a rigorous procedure was used to
assure that all of the 237?pu was in the IV oxidation state at the beginning of

Do not heat,

OXIDIZE Put? To put4

D.

DISCUSSION

Uptake is herein defined as the association of 237py with algal or bacterial

through column.

VIt.

Fraction III,

which

and
(Beck et al.,
(Table 2).
obliguus

Cool to 25°.

REDUCE Pu’? To Put3

A,

VI.

3).

Add 0.5 M KMnO, dropwise with stirring until pink color persists.

clear.

V.

(Table

No polymerization was observed in these experiments.

IN HNO, to residue.

Add 1 ml IM NaNO,.

(Table 2),

OXIDIZE Put? To put?
A.

IV.

Add 10 mb

31.1 mg/l

whileF IV Significantly increased 237 py uptake.

ADJUST ALL Pu TO put4 OXIDATION STATE
A.

III.

Do not bake

in Skinface Pond was

effect on 237 py uptake by S. obligquus while F Iv Significantly increased

237pu uptake.

Evaporate to dryness.

(TOC)

is approximately four times the world average for rivers (Garreis
MacKenzie, 1971) which is typical of southeastern aquatic systems
1974). More than 80% of the TOC was comprised of F ITI and F IV
Fraction I and F FI both significantly reduced 237py uptake by S.

(Goldberg,

1952;

Shapiro,

1957;

Giesy,

1976),
Several investigators have reported increased trace metal uptake by
Phytoplankton due to metal organic interactions (Burk, et al., 1932; Provasoli
and Pinter, 1959; Johnson, 1964), while others have reported reduced uptake
due to humic acids (Provasoli et al.,
1957; Provasoli, 1963; Prakash and
Rashid, 1968; Siegal, 1971; Giesy,1976) .
Shapiro (1966) found that higher

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