title: The influence of season and leaf age on concentrations of radiocaesium (137Cs), stable caesium (133Cs) and potassium in Agrostis capillaris.
abstract: The transfer of radioactive caesium from soils to plants has been well researched. In contrast there is limited knowledge on natural stable 133Cs and its potential role as a predictor for radiocaesium behaviour. In a pot experiment with Agrostis capillaris close correlations were found between plant 137Cs and plant 133Cs concentrations (R2 90-96%). Season and leaf age had significant effects with concentrations increasing 10-30-fold between June and December. Simultaneously the plant concentrations of K, the nutrient analogue of Cs, decreased to around one third. In the soil the exchangeable fractions of K and 137Cs declined. No clear relationships were found between 137+133Cs in the plant and exchangeable K in the soil. However, at the end of the experiment the K content of the above-ground biomass was higher than the exchangeable pool in the soil, suggesting that depletion of soil K could be a key factor in the observed increase of plant 137+133Cs over time.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK. c.a.salt@stir.ac.uk
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Salt
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Jarvis
mesh_terms: D031703:Agrostis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002586:Cesium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D011188:Potassium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D012621:Seasons; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*
chemical_list: D002588:Cesium Radioisotopes; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D002586:Cesium; D011188:Potassium