Uptake of Organic Contaminants from Soil into Vegetables and Fruits - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 378

Fig. 9.4 Overview of crop-specific plant uptake processes (Legind and Trapp 2009 )

electrolytes, such as acids and bases, very different approaches were developed.
Examples of such models are the phloem transport model by Kleier ( 1988 ), the
model relating to pesticide spray application by Satchivi ( 2000 a, b ) and the cell
model (Trapp 2000 , 2004 ).

9.4.1 Processes to Include in a Plant Uptake Model

A plant uptake model should consider both uptake from soil and air into plants. A
relatively simple model includes the compartments soil, roots and leaves (or fruits
or grains) and the processes:

• continuous and pulse input to all compartments (soil, roots and leaves);

• degradation, leaching, run-off and plant uptake, resulting in loss from soil;

• uptake into roots with the transpiration water;

• growth dilution, degradation and metabolism in roots;

• translocation from roots to leaves (or fruits) with the transpiration stream;

•

loss from leaves to air;

•

deposition from air to leaves;

• transport to leaves with attached soil;

• growth dilution, degradation and metabolism in leaves.

9.4.2 Mass Balance for a Dynamic Plant Uptake Model

Though not in the scope of this chapter, a mass balance for soil can be described as
follows.