410379
:
7?
RADIOCZSIUM IN PLANTS GROVN ON RONGELAP ATOLL 30I4L35~
R.
3B.
Walker,
E.
E.
Held,
and 3.
P.
Gessel*
AB3TRACT
Tomato and squash plants were grown in greenhouse pot
cultures using soil from
Rongelap Atoll, which received
fallout contamination in 1954.
ous combinations of N,
FP,
The treatments involved vari-
and K.
All fertilizer treatments
marsxedly reduced the content of Cs-137
whe tissue.
Also
t
3
Oo
rw
(asd
a
wy
rr
aal
GQ
cf a fielc experiment on Rongelap
Gs
oO
bt
ti
reduced the conten
°o
fart
ct
Island in which
po
hw.
tTeported are the results
an
with KCl ac least
in a native grass.
temporarily
Potassium
and Cs-137 contentsof foliar samples of several woody species
collectec on Rongelap Island are also included.
In the most
common pattern,X and Cs~137 contents of the upper foliage were
higher than those of the lower leaves,
but one species con-
sistently showed higher K but lower Cs-137 in the upper foliage.
Low K status of the soil and differences in mobility within the
plant may explain these patterns.
BEST COPYAVAI LABLE
leontribution from the University of Washington under
Contract No. AT(45-1)54D, with the United States Atomic
Energy Commission.
2Department of Botany,
men,
Pe 1 8 ne elem kK
Laboratory of Radiation Biology,
Ba a a ee
em me we pane tiaeaemitece