Microanalysis of uranium in Antarctica soil samples using fission track method

Soil samples collected at the Indian Antarctic station Maitree, situated at the Schirmachar Oasis and belonging to the East Antarctic charnockite provinces have been analysed to determine trace uranium concentrations. The fission track technique using Makrofol-KG as the track detector was used for the analyses. Finely powdered samples and pellets were irradiated with thermal neutrons from a nuclear reactor. Uranium concentrations were obtained from the tracks of the detector. Uranium concentrations were found to vary from 0.036 to 0.364 ppm in the samples investigated. The low levels of uranium indicate the absence of human intervention with the lithosphere in this region. (author) 10 refs.; 2 tabs