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Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Speciation and Bioavailability Measurements of Environmental Plutonium Using Diffusion in Thin Films
Published on: November 9, 2015
240Pu/239Pu signatures allow refining the chronology of radionuclide fallout in South America
Pierre-Alexis Chaboche1, Fabien Pointurier2, Pierre Sabatier3
1Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE/IPSL), Unité Mixte de Recherche 8212 (CEA-CNRS-UVSQ), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
Abstract:
Atmospheric nuclear tests (1945-1980) have led to radioactive fallout across the globe. French tests in Polynesia (1966-1974) may influence the signature of fallout in South America in addition to those conducted by USA and former USSR until 1963 in the Northern hemisphere. Here, we compiled the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios reported for soils of South America and conducted additional measurements to examine their latitudinal distributions across this continent. Significantly lower ratio values were found in the 20-45° latitudinal band (0.04 to 0.13) compared to the rest of the continent (up to 0.20) and attributed to the contribution of the French atmospheric tests to the ultra-trace plutonium levels found in these soils. Based on sediment cores collected in lakes of Chile and Uruguay, we show the added value of measuring 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios to refine the age models of environmental archives in this region of the world.
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