Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia
The British government performed a number of nuclear weapon tests on Australian territory from 1952 through to 1963 with the cooperation of the Australian government. Nine fission bombs were detonated in South Australia at Emu Junction and Maralinga, and a further three fission weapons were detonate...
Published in: | Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elservier Science BV.
2014
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 |
id |
ftansto:oai:apo-prod.ansto.gov.au:10238/5180 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftansto:oai:apo-prod.ansto.gov.au:10238/5180 2023-05-15T13:20:20+02:00 Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia Child, DP Hotchkis, MAC 2014-01-23 http://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 en eng Elservier Science BV. Child, D.P., & Hochkis, M.A.C. (2013). Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms. 294, 642-646. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 0168-583X http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 http://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180 Plutonium Uranium Contamination Soils Weapons Bombs Journal Article 2014 ftansto https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 2020-07-13T22:28:26Z The British government performed a number of nuclear weapon tests on Australian territory from 1952 through to 1963 with the cooperation of the Australian government. Nine fission bombs were detonated in South Australia at Emu Junction and Maralinga, and a further three fission weapons were detonated in the Monte Bello Islands off the coast of Western Australia. A number of soil samples were collected by the Australian Radiation Laboratories in 1972 and 1978 during field surveys at these nuclear weapon test sites. They were analysed by gamma spectrometry and, for a select few samples, by alpha spectrometry to measure the remaining activities of fission products, activation products and weapon materials. We have remeasured a number of these Montebello Islands and Emu Junction soil samples using the ANTARES AMS facility, ANSTO. These samples were analysed for plutonium and uranium isotopic ratios and isotopic concentrations. Very low Pu-240/Pu-239 ratios were measured at both sites (similar to 0.05 for Alpha Island and similar to 0.02 for Emu Field), substantially below global fallout averages. Well correlated but widely varying U-236 and plutonium concentrations were measured across both sites, but U-233 did not correlate with these other isotopes and instead showed correlation with distance from ground zero, indicating in situ production in the soils. © 2013, Elsevier Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Alpha Island Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation: ANSTO Publications Online Bello ENVELOPE(-56.933,-56.933,-64.333,-64.333) Alpha Island ENVELOPE(-63.000,-63.000,-64.317,-64.317) Monte Bello ENVELOPE(18.169,18.169,68.848,68.848) Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms 294 642 646 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation: ANSTO Publications Online |
op_collection_id |
ftansto |
language |
English |
topic |
Plutonium Uranium Contamination Soils Weapons Bombs |
spellingShingle |
Plutonium Uranium Contamination Soils Weapons Bombs Child, DP Hotchkis, MAC Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
topic_facet |
Plutonium Uranium Contamination Soils Weapons Bombs |
description |
The British government performed a number of nuclear weapon tests on Australian territory from 1952 through to 1963 with the cooperation of the Australian government. Nine fission bombs were detonated in South Australia at Emu Junction and Maralinga, and a further three fission weapons were detonated in the Monte Bello Islands off the coast of Western Australia. A number of soil samples were collected by the Australian Radiation Laboratories in 1972 and 1978 during field surveys at these nuclear weapon test sites. They were analysed by gamma spectrometry and, for a select few samples, by alpha spectrometry to measure the remaining activities of fission products, activation products and weapon materials. We have remeasured a number of these Montebello Islands and Emu Junction soil samples using the ANTARES AMS facility, ANSTO. These samples were analysed for plutonium and uranium isotopic ratios and isotopic concentrations. Very low Pu-240/Pu-239 ratios were measured at both sites (similar to 0.05 for Alpha Island and similar to 0.02 for Emu Field), substantially below global fallout averages. Well correlated but widely varying U-236 and plutonium concentrations were measured across both sites, but U-233 did not correlate with these other isotopes and instead showed correlation with distance from ground zero, indicating in situ production in the soils. © 2013, Elsevier Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Child, DP Hotchkis, MAC |
author_facet |
Child, DP Hotchkis, MAC |
author_sort |
Child, DP |
title |
Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
title_short |
Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
title_full |
Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
title_fullStr |
Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
title_full_unstemmed |
Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia |
title_sort |
plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in australia |
publisher |
Elservier Science BV. |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
http://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-56.933,-56.933,-64.333,-64.333) ENVELOPE(-63.000,-63.000,-64.317,-64.317) ENVELOPE(18.169,18.169,68.848,68.848) |
geographic |
Bello Alpha Island Monte Bello |
geographic_facet |
Bello Alpha Island Monte Bello |
genre |
Alpha Island |
genre_facet |
Alpha Island |
op_relation |
Child, D.P., & Hochkis, M.A.C. (2013). Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section B-Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms. 294, 642-646. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 0168-583X http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 http://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018 |
container_title |
Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms |
container_volume |
294 |
container_start_page |
642 |
op_container_end_page |
646 |
_version_ |
1766352900985978880 |