The kinetics of caesium absorption by roots of winter wheat and the possible consequences for the derivation of soil-to-plant transfer factors for radiocaesium

Caesium (Cs) uptake in roots of winter wheat followed a dual pattern similar to that established for potassium uptake in barley roots. This suggests the operation of two discrete uptake systems for Cs. The 'System 1' (low concentration) uptake mechanism for caesium, however, can be resolved into two hyperbolic components which both obey Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The Michaelis-Menten equation was used to derive a function which describes the variation in solution-to-root transfer factor for any element for which the appropriate root uptake constants (Km and Vmax) can be determined. This function successfully described available data for root uptake of caesium and potassium, predicting that the solution-to-root transfer factor decreases in relation to an increase in the substrate concentration of each respective element. At substrate concentrations equivalent to carrier-free radiocaesium concentrations, however, the solution-to-root transfer factor predicted by the function and by empirical data suggests that the relationship between root uptake and solution concentration of caesium is linear. These findings are discussed in relation to the comparative physiology of caesium and potassium uptake by plant roots and with respect to radioecological studies. (author)