Interaction of airborne plutonium with plant foliage

Studies are presented to describe the retention behavior of submicron-size particles deposited on foliage of bush bean and sugar beet plants. Simulated rainfall was used to evaluate retention efficiency. These studies showed submicronic particles to be increasingly less available for leaching with increasing residence time on the leaf; e.g., more than 90% of the foliar plutonium deposits were firmly held to the leaf surface. Retention mechanisms are discussed in terms of leaf morphology and the leaching regimes used. The absorption of foliar plutonium and its subsequent translocation to seed and root tissues were dependent on a number of parameters, including chemical form and the presence or absence of a solution vector