Phytoextractio of 137Cs: The effect of soil 137Cs concentration on 137Cs uptake by Beta vulgaris

The last phase for MAGNOX ELECTRIC plc's reactor decommissioning strategy is site clearance and delicencing. Phytoextraction of 137Cs may be able to assist in meeting this objective. Field trials using Beta vulgaris conducted at Bradwell Nuclear Power Station, Essex, UK, aimed to show whether phytoextraction might be a practical remediation technique for 137Cs contaminated land. These trials appear to show that soil-to-plant transfer of 137Cs is independent of [137Cs]soil. Total 137Cs removal depends more on plant biomass produced than [137Cs]soil. Phytoextraction may therefore be most appropriate for remediation of 137Cs contaminated sites where [137Cs]soil is low. Results obtained suggest that the practical use of phytoextraction as a remediation technique for 137Cs contaminated soils will require increased 137Cs removal rates. Increased soil availability of 137Cs to the plant, improved agronomic regimes and safe disposal methods for harvested plant biomass will also be essential to the practical implementation of 137Cs phytoextraction