Retrospective determination of fallout radionuclides and ²³⁶U/²³⁸U, ²³³U/²³⁶U and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios on air filters from Vienna and Salzburg, Austria

Author(s)

G. Wallner, H. Uguz, M. Kern, F. Jirsa, K. Hain

Abstract

¹³⁷Cs and ²⁴¹Pu (via ²⁴¹Am) concentrations were measured γ-spectrometrically on air filters from the early 1960s (mainly from 1964–66) from Vienna, Austria, and an alpine station in Salzburg, Austria. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) was used to determine ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu, ²³⁶U/²³⁸U and ²³³U/²³⁶U atom ratios as well as ²³⁶U, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu atom concentrations. The maximum ²³⁶U/²³⁸U atom ratio of these unique undisturbed global fallout samples was (1.19 ± 0.31) × 10⁻⁵ in spring 1964. The ²³³U/²³⁶U atom ratios were found within (0.15–0.49) × 10⁻² and indicate that the weapons tests of the early 1960s can be excluded as ²³³U source. The ²³⁶U/²³⁹Pu atom ratios were calculated in the range of 0.22–0.48.

Organisation(s)

Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Isotope Physics

External organisation(s)

University of Johannesburg (UJ)

Journal

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity

Volume

255

No. of pages

8

ISSN

0265-931X

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.107030

Publication date

12-2022

Peer reviewed

Yes

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

104023 Environmental chemistry, 104020 Radiochemistry, 103039 Aerosol physics, 103037 Environmental physics

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Chemistry, Waste Management and Disposal, Pollution, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Portal url

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/9182ba20-bc63-49a5-9fed-7be8c9e0051e