Distribution of Plutonium isotopes in sediments of the South Pacific Ocean

• Main Authors: Dong Wei, Zheng Jian, Yamada Masatoshi, Guo Qiuju
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; The Antarctic; Pacific; Antarc*
• Online Access: https://repo.qst.go.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=69804; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1657/00069792/

The anthropogenic plutonium isotopes (240Pu, 239Pu) are important chronometers for the determination of recent sediment accumulation rates using sediment cores collected from freshwater lakes and oceans. The distributions and sources of the Pu isotopes of water column or sediments of North Pacific (deep sea or coral environment) have been intensively studied. However, knowledge on the distribution of Pu isotopes in sediments of the South Pacific Ocean, when available, is limited. To study the composition of Pu isotopes in the ocean, thus to identify the sources of radioactive pollution, sediment core samples were collected from 2004 to 2005 in the South Pacific Ocean, including the Antarctic sea along 1700W by R/V Hakuho Maru in the KH-04-5 cruise. Multiple corers were used for sampling in order to avoid anthropogenic influence or disconcertion. The concentration of 240+239Pu and the atom ratio of 240Pu/239Pu were determined using a sector-field inductively coupled mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS) combined with a high efficiency sample introduction system (APEX-Q). Possible sources and sedimentation behavior of Pu isotopes will be discussed in this paper. The Fifth International Symposium on Radiation Safety and Detection Technology (ISORD-5)