Resolving Nevada Test Site and global fallout plutonium in attic dust and soils using [sup 137]Cs/[sup 239+240]Pu activity ratios

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1999 · Health Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199907000-00012· OSTI ID:6378125

Cizdziel, J ^[1]; Hodge, V ^[2]; Faller, S ^[3]

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1. Univ. of Nevada, Reno, NV (United States)
2. Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
3. Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, NV (United States). Radiation and Indoor Environments National Lab.

A simple equation using only [sup 137]Cs/[sup 239+240]Pu activity ratios was developed and evaluated as a means of resolving the plutonium in attic dust and soil from Nevada and Utah that came from Nevada Test Site fallout from that which came from global fallout. Applied to a historical data set of [sup 137]Cs and [sup 239+240]Pu activity concentrations in soils from Nevada and Utah, the activity ratio method gives results similar to the traditional [sup 240]Pu/[sup 239]Pu isotope mass ratio method. Considering the difficulty and expense of determining the [sup 240]Pu/[sup 239]Pu atom ratios, this activity ratio method is simpler, faster, and less costly, and may be useful for detecting and/or monitoring plutonium contamination in soils. Applied to samples of attic dust and soil collected from throughout southern Nevada and Utah during 1996 and 1997, it was found that all sites surveyed showed the presence of Nevada Test Site plutonium. Over 90% of the plutonium found in the samples from Beatty, Tonopah, and Queen City Summit, Nevada can be attributed to the Nevada Test Site.

• OSTI ID: 6378125
• Journal Information: Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Vol. 77:1; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200 -- Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense-- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540230 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CONTAMINATION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
DUSTS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
HEAVY NUCLEI
INDOOR AIR CONTAMINATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPE RATIO
ISOTOPES
MONITORING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEVADA
NEVADA TEST SITE
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEAR TEST SITES
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIOISOTOPES
SOILS
SPONTANEOUS FISSION RADIOISOTOPES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA
UTAH
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES