ee tes erepemegeaed
UNCLASSIFIED
Studies of Factors Involved in tha Biological
Urtake of Radiostrontiim
Identification of the properties of soil which influence the
ke of
radiostrontium by biological systems is a prerequisite to undersfanding
the significance of the deposition ef radiogtromtivm in soil.
Dependence of Sr89°90 Yotake on Soil Calcium
The Beltsville Experiment Station has demonstrated that
ir
laboratery soils containing Sr99, the uptake of this isotope by Pow Peas
plant
radioe
is dependent on the exchangeable calcium in the soil in which
is grown, They have demonstrated that this is likewise true for
barium and the Health and Safety Laboratory has demonstrated a
lation=
ship between radium uptake and exchangeable calcium in soil.
If, as the Beltsville experiment suggests, the radicetrontim ccntent of
plants is dependent not alone on the amount of radiostrontiu a the
soil, but on exchangeable calcium as well, a correlation should
st
between exchangeable calcium and the ratio of sp89~90 in livest amok bone
to S799-90 sn soil from which their food 1s derived.
To test this hypothesis, soils from five pastures in various par s of
the United States were analyzed for radiostrontium and exchange ble
ealeium. Three lembs and two oalves that had spent their entir lifes
tims in these pastures were sacrificed and samples of ge eton
Figure 6 is a presentation of our data in the form sr
ia >
in soil versus the reciprocal of exchangeable caloium. These < ta take
the form which would be predictable fram the Beltsville experiz nts where
a linear regression with a slope af 529 wae obtained. Because
the
few data, a curve through the points in this figure is not she
Howe
ever, a least squares fit of the data gives a slope of 760 which is in
fair agreement with the Beltsville data sonsidering the few observations
we have and the possible differences between field and laboratogy conditions.
pe yset8s90
In @der to emphasize the importance of the exchangeable calci
Parameter in the relationship between bone end soil radiostrontium, Figure
9 presents bone radiostrontium versus soil rediostrontium.
Presented are not eo orderly as in comparison with Figure 8.
Thejdata thus
Dependence of Ba Uptake on Soil Calcium
If a similar dependence on exchangeable calcium could bp demonstrated for mtural radium, we would bave « weful tool for evaimting
the significance of radiostrontium deposition in soile. The rahge of
Wrld wide Ra in soil is mown to a first approximation and sani
determined if need be. The relationship of this deposition to
human bone has been tmder study for some tine. Our knowledge «
bilo radium equilibrium oould be used to estimate the ultimte
Pediostronti um.
be better
dium in
the geote of
wile
sae
00131986 027
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