Water: Tritiated Water

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Tritiated water is a radioactive form of water where the hydrogens have two neutrons instead of zero neutrons found in pure water (McFarlane, Beckert and Brown 1976). Tritiated water acts like solute in the pure water of the xylem; therefore water exchange with cambium occurs and the treated water exits the xylem and enters the cambium via diffusion. Furthermore exchange between the phloem and the cambium occur to further dilute the tritium (Metzner et al. 2010; Klepper, Molz, and Peterson 1973). This exchange of the tritiated water again occurs via diffusion (Metzner et al. 2010; Klepper, Molz, and Peterson 1973). The tritiated water then travels from the phloem back to the roots. When the plant is girdled, the xylem is unable to exchange

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