Uptake and distribution of radiostrontium in tomato treated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were inoculated into the root system of edible tomato plants to investigate their effect on the uptake and distribution of strontium radionuclide in the tissues of plants grown under laboratory conditions. The experiments were carried out in a sterile mixture of topsoil and sand, where in one series of experiments contaminated soil with ⁸⁵Sr was used. Seeds were inoculated with a mixture of AMF at sowing, the second, control series was without application of AMF. Determination of radioactivity in soil and in different parts of tomato plants was carried out by gamma-spectrometric measurement. The obtained results and statistical analysis indicated a significant association between AMF inoculation of plants and the change in the distribution of ⁸⁵Sr. The presence of AMF reduced the translocation of ⁸⁵Sr from the root system to the aerial parts of tomato plants. (authors)