¹³⁷Cs and heavy metals accumulation by crops and modifying effects of biologically active substances on the root uptake of radioactive and non-radioactive contaminants

Russian Institute of Agricultural Radiology and Agroecology, 249032 Obninsk, Russia

Abstract

Soil contamination with Co and Cd at concentration 20–25 times exceeding the Maximum Permisible Level for sod-podzolic light loam soil produced not only negative effects on the spring barley productivity formation, but also decreasing of ¹³⁷Cs root uptake. Effects of Co on the barley development and ¹³⁷Cs accumulation in plants was more pronounced than Cd influence. The ¹³⁷Cs activity decrease in barley biomass and harvest amounted to 2.5 and 1.6 times on Cd and Co contaminated soil, respectively. The mechanisms regulating root uptake of K by barley plants in dependence of the kind of soil contamination were discussed. Seed incrustation with Zircon and Epin did not produce significant influence on Co and Cd phytotoxicity, however the use of this plant growth regulators resulted in different in direction and value effects on Co, Cd and ¹³⁷Cs accumulation in barley plants at various stages of its development. The experimental data do not make it possible to link directly the effect of biologically active substances on ¹³⁷Cs uptake with their influence on heavy metals toxicity, which was estimated on the base of morphological and physiological parameters of plants.