Strontium and barium in plants and soils

Abstract

A method for the determination of strontium and barium in plants and soil extracts is described, using the technique of activation analysis. The method was applied to determine the available alkaline earth contents of nine English soils, including two rich in strontium, and of the plants growing on them. The effect of the pH of the soil extractant on the availability of these elements was investigated and found to vary widely with the soil type. It was found that strontium was preferentially absorbed with respect to calcium from most of the soils by plants, while barium was taken up much less readily. Native plants may contain concentrations of strontium of up to 2.6% dry weight when growing on strontium rich soils; possible strontium indicator and accumulator plants are discussed.