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Science 12 June 1981:
Vol. 212. no. 4500, pp. 1267 - 1269
DOI: 10.1126/science.212.4500.1267
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Articles

Fly Ash-Derived Strontium as an Index to Monitor Deposition from Coal-Fired Power Plants

I. R. STRAUGHAN 1, A. A. ELSEEWI 2, A. L. PAGE 2, I. R. KAPLAN 3, R. W. HURST 4, and T. E. DAVIS 4

1 Research and Development, Southern California Edison Company, Rosemead 91770
2 Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside 92521
3 Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles 90024
4 Department of Geology, California State University, Los Angeles 90032

The combustion of western U.S. coals releases significant amounts of strontium, which is relatively enriched in the fine particles of fly ash. Fly ash-derived strontium is readily absorbed by agronomic and native plant species when incorporated in soil. The strontium-87 to strontium-86 ratios of fly ash and soils were significantly different, but similar ratios were found in fly ash and plants treated with fly ash. A technique for measuring and monitoring deposition from coal-fired power plants is inferred from the enhanced plant uptake of fly ash strontium and the similarity in the isotopic ratios of fly ash and treated plants.

Submitted on September 30, 1980
Revised on February 23, 1981


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
The Use of Strontium-87/Strontium-86 Ratios to Measure Atmospheric Transport into Forested Watersheds.
W. C. Graustein, W. C. GRAUSTEIN, and R. L. ARMSTRONG (1983)
Science 219, 289-292
   Abstract »    PDF »
The design of environmental monitoring systems: update 1982.
R. E. Munn and R.E. Munn (1982)
Progress in Physical Geography 6, 541-548
   PDF »


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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)