Abstract
The impact of root-induced soil modifications on trace element availability was assessed in an indirect way. The plant-(soil) solution concentration ratio’s of different metals was compared between plants grown in nutrient solution or in potted soils. Metals studied were carrier-free isotopes (except for Zn) 137Cs, 85Sr, 109Cd, 65Zn and 152Eu. Spinach was grown in 13 chelate buffered nutrient solutions differing in K, Ca, Mg and Zn concentration and in the concentration and type of chelate. The plant/solution concentration ratio CF in 17 day old spinach shoots was lowest for 152Eu and highest for 109Cd, the difference being up to three orders of magnitude. Factors sensitively affecting isotope uptake were the K concentration for 137Cs uptake, the Ca + Mg concentrations for 85Sr uptake and the Zn supply and the concentration and type of chelate for both 65Zn and 109Cd uptake. The 152Eu CF was low throughout and was not sensitive to solution composition. Two soils (A, B) homogeneously contaminated with the 5 metal isotopes were grown with spinach for 17 days. The soil solution was collected from rooted soil at harvest. The shoot-soil concentration ratio TF varied over three orders of magnitude between isotopes. The shoot-soil solution CF values of 152Eu, 85Sr and 65Zn were similar to those found in the nutrient solutions with similar composition as soil solutions. The 137Cs CF’s were 3–5 fold higher in soil than in comparable nutrient solutions. The 109Cd CF’s in soil were at least two times lower than in comparable nutrient solutions. Discrepancies between CF’s in soil and in nutrient solution for 137Cs and 109Cd are ascribed to concentration gradients in the rhizosphere It is concluded that, in general terms, the different availability of the 5 isotopes in soil can be explained from differences in CF values, estimated in nutrient solution, and from different solid-liquid distribution in soil.
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