Radionuclide Transport Processes in Terrestrial Ecosystems

• Published in: Radiation research 1983-04, Vol.94 (1), p.135-150
• Main Author: Whicker, F. Ward
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air Pollutants; Air Pollutants, Radioactive; Alaska; Animals; Caribous; Colorado; Computers; Deer - metabolism; Eating; Ecology; Lichens; Plants; Plants - metabolism; Radioactive decay; Radioactive Fallout; Radioisotopes - metabolism; Radionuclides; Soil biology; Soil ecology; Soil Pollutants; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; Soil pollution; Terrestrial ecosystems
• ISSN: 0033-7587; 1938-5404
• DOI: 10.2307/3575869

Some major principles and the status of knowledge concerning the transport of radionuclides through terrestrial ecosystems are reviewed. Fundamental processes which control the flow of radionuclides between ecosystem components such as air, soil, plants, and animals are described, with emphasis on deposition, resuspension, plant uptake, ingestion, and assimilation. Properties of radionuclides, organisms, and ecosystems are examined in relation to their influence on the accumulation of radioactive materials by plants and animals. The effects of the physicochemical nature of the radionuclide; morphology, physiology, and behavior of the organism; and soil, nutrient, and trophic characteristics of the ecosystem are highlighted. Observations in natural ecosystems on radionuclides such as 137 Cs, 90 Sr, 131 I, 3 H, and 239 Pu are used to illustrate current concepts. An assessment of the degree to which the processes controlling radionuclide behavior are understood and of our ability to simulate and predict such behavior with computerized models is offered. Finally, brief comments are made on research needs.