Development of an analytical method of 241Pu in Environmental samples

Determination of 241Pu in soil samples was carried out. The method of purification of plutonium isotopes consist of the Ca-oxalate coprecipitation and an anion exchange resin method. The chemical and electrodeposition yields were determined by α-spectrometry with double tracers method(236Pu, 242Pu) using one aliquot of the purificated solution. While 241Pu was measured in the other aliquot using low background liquid scintillation counter calibrated with 3H. The minimum detection limit for 241Pu was 0.2 Bq/kg·dry-soil at the counting time for 500 minutes. The range of concentration of 241Pu in the soils was 0.57∼4.9 Bq/kg·dry-soil and the activity ratio of 241Pu/239,240Pu was about 4. (author)