Resolving Chernobyl vs. global fallout contributions in soils from Poland using Plutonium atom ratios measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

• Published in: Journal of environmental radioactivity Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 183 - 201
• Main Authors: Ketterer, Michael E., Hafer, Kevin M., Mietelski, Jerzy W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chernobyl; Contamination; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring; Exact sciences and technology; Geography; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Isotopic ratios; Mass Spectrometry; Plutonium; Plutonium - analysis; Poland; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Power Plants; Radioactive Fallout - analysis; Radioactive Hazard Release; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants, Radioactive - analysis; Soils; Ukraine; Poland; Europe; Ukraine; Ukraine, Chernobyl; Chernobyl; Soils; Isotopic ratios; Poland; Plutonium; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Contamination; Isotopic analysis; Radioactive pollution; Atmospheric fallout; Identification; Forest soil; Radioisotope; Soil pollution; Radioactive fall out; Radioactivity measurement; Peat bog; ICP mass spectroscopy; Pollution source; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0265-931X; 1879-1700
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2003.09.001

Plutonium in Polish forest soils and the Bór za Lasem peat bog is resolved between Chernobyl and global fallout contributions via inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of
240Pu/
239Pu and
241Pu/
239Pu atom ratios in previously prepared NdF
3 α spectrometric sources. Compared to global fallout, Chernobyl Pu exhibits higher abundances of
240Pu and
241Pu. The ratios
240Pu/
239Pu and
241Pu/
239Pu co-vary and range from 0.186 to 0.348 and 0.0029 to 0.0412, respectively, in forest soils (
241Pu/
239Pu=0.2407×[
240Pu/
239Pu]−0.0413;
r
2=0.9924). Two-component mixing models are developed to ap portion
239+240Pu and
241Pu activities; various estimates of the percentage of Chernobyl-derived
239+240Pu activity in forest soils range from <10% to >90% for the sample set. The
240Pu/
239Pu–
241Pu/
239Pu atom ratio mixing line extrapolates to estimate
241Pu/
239Pu and the
241Pu/
239+240Pu activity ratio for the Chernobyl source term (0.123±0.007; 83±5; 1 May 1986). Sample
241Pu activities, calculated using existing alpha spectrometric
239+240Pu activities, and the
240Pu/
239Pu and
241Pu/
239Pu atom ratios, agree relatively well with previous liquid scintillation spectrometry measurements. Chernobyl Pu is most evident in locations from northeastern Poland. The
241Pu activities and/or the
241Pu/
239Pu atom ratios are more sensitive than
240Pu/
239Pu or
238Pu/
239+240Pu activity ratios at detecting small Chernobyl
239+240Pu inputs, found in southern Poland. The mass spectrometric data show that the
241Pu activity is 40–62% Chernobyl-derived in southern Poland, and 58–96% Chernobyl in northeastern Poland. The Bór za Lasem peat bog (49.42° N, 19.75° E), located in the Orawsko-Nowotarska valley of southern Poland, consists of global fallout Pu.