yon
concentration in vegetation as a Funct
To obtain an expression for plutonium
performed (Gilbert, Persona ;
was
is
analys
sion
regres
a
n,
of soil concentratio
an
data (636 paired samples of vegetation
communication) to fit the available
n:
equatio
ing
follow
the
soil) to
In Cy.)
v

=

(1n a)

+b in

(C
( s)>

yy = 0.0620 C 9.76
The corresponding equation for the vegetation/soil ratio is:

Cry = yy/C, = 0.062 C,-0-24

Equations (11) and (12) demonstrate the dependence of vegetation concentration
on soil concentration and the fact that the vegetation/seil ratio tends to
increase as soil concentration increases. The use of either equation for
purposes may y be Limited by ¥ the extreme range
Pred ictive purp
g of sotl and vegetation
g
values and/or by various site specific factors which are not considered in the
regression analysis,
It might be better to apply the regression analysis to

|

where

v

-

(in Yy) S

=1n (C.),

s°?

A (Ina)

i

7

|

5

bs

bv - = (Ly)

|
I

AzV- bs
-

Sampling strata means as shown in Table 3}.

|

Ta1ee?
>Ss
- (375)

(12)

Thus, for areas in which soil concentrations are 10, 1.0, and O.E nCi/g, the
predicted vegetation/soil ratios would be 0.036, 0.062, and 0.107, respectively.

.

veA+ bs

or

a)

\

Except for Strata 3 and 4 in Area 13, the measured and predicted values given
in Table 3 seem to agree quite well, but the equations for Area 13 and GMX-5
(footnote to Table 3) predict higher values (especially at higher soil concentrations} than would be obtained from Equations (11) and (12), which are based
on samples from all study areas.

3

where ¥ ig the mean of V and § is the mean of S-

Discussion

1lts of this analysis are summarized as follows:
The results

n/soil ratios may be
Equations (11) and (12) shed some light on how vegetatio
expected to vary with respect to soil concentration, but they do not explain
why. To approach this and related questions, we refer back to Equations (7)
and (8), the proposed differential equations for the external and internal
components of plant contamination.
For the time being, at least, we can
dismiss Equation (8) from further consideration because the greenhouse studies
have shown that root uptake cannot account for more than a small fraction of
the vegetation/soil ratios observed at NTS.

both vy and
cated because measurements of
er, 1973).
This method of calculating b is indi
C, are subject to error (see Rick

Parameter

Standard Deviation
eee
2.3096
.
ae

.

V = -3.4961
7 = 0.9322

b=

0.7602

r=
n

0.8084 (correlation coefficient)
636

Equation (7) For external contaminatfon has the following solucion:

0.0458

A = -2.7871

Ye

vegetation/so 11 ratio is:
Taking, antilogs,
BS, the mean

Cry = ¥y/ Cy, = 0-0303/0.3937 = 0.0770
(nci/g)/(nci/g),
.

which is somewhat lower than the waive (0.096) 9

presented by Romney ct al, (1975).

brained from the grouped data

a function of 30 il
concentration (nCi/g) as
The equations for vegetation
is:
concentration (nCi/g)

=

Kays

OF)
w

g

FA

[l-exp(-Q. +4, g +4, )8)]

A

(13)

where the parameters are defined following Equation (7), and

ky = VyFy
I

=

c, = bio,
where,

Vg is the deposition velocity on soil (cm/day),

and

Lg 18 a mass loading factor (g(soil)/cm*(air)).

F, is a vegetation interception factor fen? /g (vegetation)),

641

(14)
(15)

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