title: Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in plutonium analysis.
abstract: The paper summarizes the results of the240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio studies in atmospheric fallout samples collected in 1986 over Gdynia (Poland) as well as three Baltic fish species collected in 1997 using the accelerator mass spectrometry. A new generation of AMS has been developed during last years and this method is an efficient and good technique to measure long-lived radioisotopes in the environment and provides the most accurate determination of the atomic ratios between240Pu and239Pu. The nuclide compositions of plutonium in filter samples correspond to their means of production. AMS measurements of atmospheric fallout collected in April showed sufficient increase of the240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio from 0.28 from March to 0.47. Also such high increase of240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio, close to reactor core240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio, was observed in September and equaled 0.47.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry, Analytics and Environmental Radiochemistry Chair, University of Gdańsk, Sobieskiego 18/19, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland.
authors.forename: Dagmara I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Strumińska-Parulska
keywords: 240Pu/239Pu atomic ratio; AMS accelerator mass spectrometry; Atmospheric fallout; Chernobyl accident; Fish; Plutonium