239Â +Â 240Pu from “contaminant” to soil erosion tracer: Where do we stand?

We conclude that 239 + 240Pu has the potential to become the next generation of soil redistribution tracer compared to the more mature FRN techniques mostly due to (i) its long half-life guaranteeing its long-term availability in the environment, (ii) its analytical advantage in terms of measurement precision and measurement time and (iii) its greater homogeneity at reference sites due to its main origin from past atmospheric nuclear weapon tests. In identifying some key future research opportunities and needs, we hope to refine the efficiency of this promising agro-environmental tracer for effective soil redistribution studies under future climate and land use change.