title: Resolving Chernobyl vs. global fallout contributions in soils from Poland using Plutonium atom ratios measured by 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/230Pu and 241Pu/239Pu atom ratios in previously prepared NdF3 alpha spectrometric sources. Compared to global fallout, Chernobyl Pu exhibits higher abundances of 240Pu and 241Pu. The ratios 240Pu/230Pu 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 x [240Pu/239Pu] - 0.0413; r2 = 0.9924). Two-component mixing models are developed to apportion 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/230Pu - 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 +/- 0.0007; 83 +/- 5; 1 May 1986). Sample 241Pu activities, calculated using existing alpha spectrometric 239+240Pu activities, and the 240Pu/230Pu 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 degrees N, 19.75 degrees E), located in the Orawsko-Nowotarska valley of southern Poland, consists of global fallout Pu.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Northern Arizona University, Box 5698, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5698, USA. michael.ketterer@nau.edu
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Ketterer
authors.forename: Kevin M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Hafer
authors.forename: Jerzy W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Mietelski
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D011005:Plutonium / Q000032:analysis*; D011044:Poland; D011210:Power Plants; D011847:Radioactive Fallout / Q000032:analysis*; D018788:Radioactive Hazard Release; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive / Q000032:analysis*; D014455:Ukraine
chemical_list: D011847:Radioactive Fallout; D012990:Soil Pollutants, Radioactive; D011005:Plutonium