Uptake in Vegetated Soil Columns

Investigations are currently being conducted at Imperial College into the upward migration of radionuclides from a contaminated water table and their subsequent uptake by plant root systems. This programme includes both experimental studies and related mathematical modelling. Previous work has been primarily with lysimeters. However, these experiments are expensive and somewhat lengthy and the alteration of key features is difficult Therefore, an experimental research programme using smaller scale columns where conditions can be readily altered has been set up under a NERC studentship. This paper presents both the observed and simulated results from some preliminary column experiments involving the movement of two different radionuclides. It will be shown that physically-based mathematical models developed for field scale problems are readily applicable at the scale of the experimental columns. Work is currently in hand to demonstrate the validity of the column experiments for determining parameters associated with various soil, plant and radionuclide types.