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Updated: Jun 17, 2026
12:22
Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
Characterization of Pu concentration and its isotopic composition in a reference fallout material
Yongsan Zhang1, Jian Zheng, Masatoshi Yamada
1State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guanshui Road 46, Guiyang 550002, China.
The Science of the Total Environment
|December 22, 2009
Summary
A new reference material for fallout plutonium monitoring was prepared and characterized. This material is crucial for quality control in atmospheric environmental studies analyzing plutonium isotopes.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Nuclear Chemistry
- Radiochemistry
Background:
- Lack of reference material for fallout plutonium isotope monitoring hinders quality control.
- Atmospheric environmental studies require accurate radionuclide analysis.
- Previous studies established reference values for Cesium-137, Strontium-90, and Plutonium-239/240.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize plutonium activity and isotopic composition in a prepared reference fallout material.
- To establish a quality control standard for fallout radionuclide analysis.
- To investigate plutonium isotope ratios and their potential sources.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of a reference fallout material from samples collected in Japan (1963-1979).
- Analysis of Plutonium-239/240 and Plutonium-241 activities using isotope dilution sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS).
- Determination of Plutonium-240/Plutonium-239 and Plutonium-241/Plutonium-239 atom ratios.
- Sequential extraction method to identify dominant host phases of plutonium.
Main Results:
- Characterized (239+240)Pu activities using acid leaching (6.56±0.20 mBq/g) and total digestion (6.79±0.16 mBq/g).
- Determined (240)Pu/(239)Pu atom ratios of 0.1915±0.0030 and 0.1922±0.0044.
- Observed slightly higher (240)Pu/(239)Pu and (241)Pu/(239)Pu ratios compared to global fallout, potentially due to Chinese nuclear tests in the 1970s.
- Identified organic matter-sulfides (70%) and Fe-Mn oxides (19%) as dominant host phases for plutonium.
Conclusions:
- The characterized reference material provides a vital standard for fallout plutonium monitoring.
- The isotopic composition suggests contributions from specific nuclear events.
- Understanding plutonium's host phases is crucial for environmental transport and remediation studies.
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