Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

Wei Dong; Stephen G. Tims; L. Keith Fifield; Qiuju Guo

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2009.08.011

Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

Wei Dong, Stephen G. Tims, L. Keith Fifield, Qiuju Guo^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

44 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the ^239+240Pu total activities and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g^-1 and the ^239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m^-2 agree well with that expected from global fallout. The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	29-32
Number of pages	4
Journal	Journal of Environmental Radioactivity
Volume	101
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2009.08.011
Publication status	Published - Jan 2010

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title = "Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China",

abstract = "To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the 239+240Pu total activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g-1 and the 239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m-2 agree well with that expected from global fallout. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar 240Pu/239Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.",

author = "Wei Dong and Tims, {Stephen G.} and Fifield, {L. Keith} and Qiuju Guo",

year = "2010",

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doi = "10.1016/j.jenvrad.2009.08.011",

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T1 - Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

AU - Dong, Wei

AU - Tims, Stephen G.

AU - Fifield, L. Keith

AU - Guo, Qiuju

PY - 2010/1

Y1 - 2010/1

N2 - To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the 239+240Pu total activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g-1 and the 239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m-2 agree well with that expected from global fallout. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar 240Pu/239Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.

AB - To study the Pu concentration and isotope ratio distributions present in China, the 239+240Pu total activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in core soil samples from Hubei Province in central China were investigated using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). The activities ranged from 0.019 to 0.502 mBq g-1 and the 239+240Pu inventories of 45 and ∼55 Bq m-2 agree well with that expected from global fallout. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios in the soil ranged from 0.172 to 0.220. The ratios are similar to typical global fallout values. Hence, any close-in fallout contribution from the Chinese nuclear weapons tests, mainly conducted in the 1970s, must have either been negligible or had a similar 240Pu/239Pu ratio to that of global fallout. The top 10 cm layer of the soil contributes ∼90% of the total inventory and the maximum concentrations appeared in the 2-4 cm or 4-6 cm layers. It is suggested that climatic conditions and organic content are the two main factors that affect the vertical migration of plutonium in soil.

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JF - Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

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ER -

Concentration and characterization of plutonium in soils of Hubei in central China

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