TY - JOUR
T1 - Accelerator mass spectrometry measurement of 240Pu/ 239Pu isotope ratios in Novaya Zemlya and Kara Sea sediments
AU - Oughton, Deborah H.
AU - Skipperud, Lindis
AU - Fifield, L. Keith
AU - Cresswell, Richard G.
AU - Salbu, Brit
AU - Day, Philip
PY - 2004/8
Y1 - 2004/8
N2 - Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample sizes, necessitate reliable low-level techniques for determination of Pu isotopes. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has proved to be a powerful method for measuring low-level Pu activity concentrations and Pu isotope ratios. Based on procedural blanks, detection limits for AMS were below 1fg Pu (equivalent to ca. 2μBq 139Pu), which can compete with both TIMS, high sensitivity ICP-MS, and certainly alpha-spectrometry, while showing less interference, memory and matrix effects as compared to routine ICP-MS techniques. In addition to low detection limits, the technique offers the advantage of giving information on Pu isotope ratios. Measurements of sediments collected from dumping sites at Novaya Zemlya showed deviation from global fallout 240Pu/239Pu ratios.
AB - Generally low levels of plutonium in environmental samples, often combined with limited sample sizes, necessitate reliable low-level techniques for determination of Pu isotopes. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has proved to be a powerful method for measuring low-level Pu activity concentrations and Pu isotope ratios. Based on procedural blanks, detection limits for AMS were below 1fg Pu (equivalent to ca. 2μBq 139Pu), which can compete with both TIMS, high sensitivity ICP-MS, and certainly alpha-spectrometry, while showing less interference, memory and matrix effects as compared to routine ICP-MS techniques. In addition to low detection limits, the technique offers the advantage of giving information on Pu isotope ratios. Measurements of sediments collected from dumping sites at Novaya Zemlya showed deviation from global fallout 240Pu/239Pu ratios.
KW - Accelerator mass spectrometry
KW - Isotope ratios
KW - Novaya Zemlya
KW - Plutonium
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=2942609038&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.03.054
DO - 10.1016/j.apradiso.2004.03.054
M3 - Conference article
SN - 0969-8043
VL - 61
SP - 249
EP - 253
JO - Applied Radiation and Isotopes
JF - Applied Radiation and Isotopes
IS - 2-3
T2 - Low Level Radionuclide Measurement Techniques
Y2 - 13 October 2003 through 17 October 2003
ER -