Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorChild, DPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHotchkis, MACen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2014-01-23T02:16:29Zen_AU
dc.date.available2014-01-23T02:16:29Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2013-01-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2014-01-23en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe 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.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationChild, D.P., & Hochkis, M.A.C. (2013). Plutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australia. Paper presented to the Twelfth International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometry, Wellington, New Zealand, 20-25 March 2011. In Zondervan, A., Prior, C., Bruhn, F., & Sparks, R. (Eds), Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atoms, 642-646. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018en_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceenddate25 March 2011en_AU
dc.identifier.conferencenameTwelfth International Conference on Accelerator Mass Spectrometryen_AU
dc.identifier.conferenceplaceWellington, New Zealanden_AU
dc.identifier.conferencestartdate20 March 2011en_AU
dc.identifier.editorsZondervan, A., Prior, C., Bruhn, F., & Sparks, R.en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc5308en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0168-583Xen_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section B: Beam Interactions with Materials and Atomsen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination642-646en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2012.05.018en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5180en_AU
dc.identifier.volume294en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevier Science BV.en_AU
dc.subjectPlutoniumen_AU
dc.subjectUraniumen_AU
dc.subjectContaminationen_AU
dc.subjectSoilsen_AU
dc.subjectWeaponsen_AU
dc.subjectBombsen_AU
dc.titlePlutonium and uranium contamination in soils from former nuclear weapon test sites in Australiaen_AU
dc.typeConference Paperen_AU
Files
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Conference Publications