Plutonium, 90Sr and 241Am in human bones from southern and northeastern parts of Poland

Title: Plutonium, ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am in human bones from southern and northeastern parts of Poland

Author: Kamil Brudecki, Jerzy W. Mietelski, Robert Anczkiewicz, Edward B. Golec, Ewa Tomankiewicz,

Konstanty Kuźma, Paweł Zagrodzki, Joanna Golec, Sebastian Nowak, Elżbieta Szczygieł, Zbigniew Dudkiewicz

Reference: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Volume 299, Issue 3 , pp 1379-1388

DOI: 10.1007/s10967-013-2850-y

Keywords: Plutonium, Americium, Strontium, Chernobyl, Mass spectrometry, Pu isotopic ratios, Human bones

Abstract: The paper presents the results of our study on ²³⁸Pu, ²³⁹Pu, ²⁴⁰Pu, ²⁴¹Am and ⁹⁰Sr concentration in human bones carried out on a set of 88 individual samples of central Europe origin. Bone tissue samples were retrieved under surgery while introducing hip joint implants. The conducted surgeries tend to cover either southern or northeastern parts of Poland. While for the southern samples only global fallout was expected to be seen, a mixed global and Chernobyl fallout were to be reflected in the others. Alpha spectrometry was applied to obtain activity concentration for ²³⁸Pu, ^239+240Pu, ²⁴¹Am, while liquid scintillation spectrometry for ⁹⁰Sr and mass spectrometry to receive ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu mass ratio. Surprisingly enough, and to the contrary to our expectations we could not see any significant differences in either Pu activity or Pu mass ratio between the studied populations. In both populations Chernobyl fraction proved marginal. The results on ⁹⁰Sr and ²⁴¹Am confirm similarities between the two examined groups.

ＵＲＬ：http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-013-2850-y

Study on the rate of plutonium vertical migration in various soil types of Lublin region (Eastern Poland)

Title: Study on the rate of plutonium vertical migration in various soil types of Lublin region (Eastern Poland)

Author: Jolanta Orzeł, Andrzej Komosa

Reference: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, January 2014, Volume 299, Issue 1, pp 643-649

DOI: 10.1007/s10967-013-2774-6

Keywords: Plutonium isotopes, Alpha spectrometry, Migration rate, Soil profile

Abstract: Soil contamination level with ^239+240Pu of Lublin region was determined using the alpha spectrometric method. Results were compared with similar data from the study performed 15 year earlier. Decrease in total ^239+240Pu concentration and reducing quantity of Chernobyl fraction (up to almost negligible value of 1 %) has been observed in upper soil layer. Determination of ^239+240Pu concentration in soil profile layers allows calculating a vertical migration velocity of plutonium applying a compartment migration model. It was found that ^239+240Pu migration rate varies depending on soil type from 0.29 cm year⁻¹ in Podsols to 0.58 cm year⁻¹ in Fluvisols with mean value of 0.5 cm year^−1.

ＵＲＬ：http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10967-013-2774-6

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

Keywords: Chernobyl; Contamination; Plutonium; Poland; Soils; Isotopic ratios; Inductively coupled plasma, mass spectrometry

Abstract: 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 NdF₃ 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; r²=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.

URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0265931X03002522