Mass loading of soil particles on plant surfaces

Radionuclide-bearing soil particles on plant surfaces can be ingested and contribute to human dose, but evaluating the potential dose is limited by the relatively few data available on the masses of soil particles present on plant surfaces. This report summarizes mass loading data (i.e., mass of soil per unit of vegetation) for crops in the southeastern United States and compares these data to 1) those from other regions and 2) the mass loadings used in radionuclide transfer models to predict soil contamination of plant surfaces. Mass loadings were estimated using the 238Pu content of crops as an indicator of soil on plant surfaces. Crops were grown in two soils: a sandy clay loam soil and a loamy sand soil. Concentrations of soil on southeastern crops (i.e., mg soil g-1 plant) differed by more than a factor of 100 due to differences in crop growth form and biomass. Mean concentrations ranged from 1.7 mg g-1 for corn to 260 mg g-1 for lettuce. Differences in mass loadings between soils were less than those among crops. Concentrations differed by less than a factor of two between the two soil types. Because of 1) the differences among crops and 2) the limited data available from other systems, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding regional or climatic variation in mass loadings. There is, however, little evidence to suggest large differences among regions. The mass loadings used to predict soil contamination in current radionuclide transfer models appear to be less than those observed for most crops.