Screening of plant species for comparative uptake abilities of radioactive Co, Rb, Sr and Cs from soil

In case of radioactive fallout, persistence of long lived nuclides in soil and subsequent transfer into the food chain through plants over a long period is the key factor. The possibility of phytoremediation is suggested to reduce the radionuclides in soil. To exploit the natural potential of some plants in absorbing or accumulating certain radionuclides and depleting the soil radioactivity, thirty-two plant species were tested under laboratory conditions for their comparative ability in taking up radioactive Rb, Co, Sr and Cs. Broccoli and tomato for Co, tomato, chard, sunflower and cucumber for Rb; cucumber, sunflower and turnip (Kyona) for Sr, and tomato, chard and cucumber for Cs were found to be effective compared to other species tested.