Research into the factors affecting the uptake of 90Sr and 137Cs by plants from radioactively contaminated soils of the southern Urals.

The objective of this work was to study the factors affecting the intake of 90Sr and 137Cs by plants from soils exposed to radioactive contamination resulting from operations of the Mayak Industrial Association. Specific activities of 90Sr and 137Cs in the samples were determined by the radiochemical method. The most severe contamination by 90Sr and 137Cs of natural soils was found in forest soil cover and in the 0-5 cm soil layer.