Comparison of interception and initial retention of wet-deposited contaminants on leaves of different vegetation types

Simulated rain containing both soluble radionuclides and insoluble particles labeled with a radionuclide was manually applied to several kinds of vegetation, including a conifer, a broad-leafed tree, and several herbaceous species. The fraction of each radioactive material intercepted and initially retained by the vegetation was determined for each plant type. This fraction was determined both as the mass interception factor, r/Y, and the leaf area interception fraction, LAIF. Mean values of r/Y ranged from 0.16 to 2.9 m2 kg−1 and of the LAIF, from 0.011 to 0.16. There was a greater range in mean retention values among radionuclide types than among plant species; the range among plant types tended to be less with the LAIF than the r/Y. Significantly less interception and initial retention was measured for anions than for cations or the insoluble particles.