STRONTIUM-90 AND CESIUM-137 IN CANADIAN CEREAL GRAINS 1957–1960

Abstract

The concentration of cesium-137 and strontium-90 in Canadian wheat is reported for the years 1957 to 1960. Some results are included for flour, bran, barley, and wheat from earlier years. Sampling was done through a national network to obtain as representative results as possible.The specific activity, i.e. strontium-90/mg stable strontium, in various parts of the wheat kernel has been used to study the uptake of strontium by the plant. For wheat grown under conditions of high fallout, more than 40% of the strontium-90 in the cereal grain was absorbed through the husk. A comparison of cesium-137 in wheat with fallout rate showed negligible (less than 5%) uptake from soil.