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- Author or Editor: F. Roensch x
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Summary
Extensive soil and sediment sampling was conducted along the Colorado Front Range and the plains east of the Front Range at locations believed to only be exposed to global fallout. The average 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio in the samples collected in Colorado was determined to be 0.165±0.008. A limited number of samples were collected at various locations in the Arctic at approximately 70° N latitude. Analyses of these samples predict that the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio in environmental samples collected at 70° N latitude at locations only containing fallout is 0.183±0.009. These results provide data that help to precisely define the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios representative of global fallout at the two locations studied.
Abstract
Utilization of thermal ionization mass spectrometry as a routine analytical service provided to the Los Alamos National Laboratory Bioassay Program has evolved significantly since its implementation just over three years ago. Converting this unique research tool designed to support nuclear weapons testing to a quasi-production mode for the routine analysis of ~300 urine samples/year for ultra-low levels of plutonium has required resolution of numerous practical issues. These issues include clean-room sample preparation, adequate tracer recovery, customer specified turn-around times, throughput, water and urine blank values, statistical data reduction, and quality control and performance evaluation sample requirements.
