| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1738757 | Journal of Environmental Radioactivity | 2011 | 5 Pages |
Samples from a marine sediment core from the Irish Sea (54.416 N, 3.563 W) were analyzed for the isotopic composition of uranium, plutonium and americium by a combination of radiometric methods and AMS. The radiochemical procedure consisted of a Pu separation step by anion exchange, subsequent U separation by extraction chromatography using UTEVA® and finally Am separation with TRU® Resin.Additionally to radiometric determination of these isotopes by alpha spectrometry, the separated samples were also used for the determination of 236U/238U and plutonium isotope ratios by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) at the VERA facility.
► Investigation of Irish Sea sediment samples for their 236U/238U and 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios. ► The 236U/238U results are between (1.35–4.36) × 10−5 which indicate an anthropogenic contamination. ► The mean 240Pu/239Pu value along the core is 0.23 ± 0.04 and represents no weapons-grade Pu. ► Additional 241Am/243Am was measured via AMS and compared with alpha spectrometry.
