European roe deer antlers as an environmental archive for fallout 236U and 239Pu. (January 2016)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- European roe deer antlers as an environmental archive for fallout 236U and 239Pu. (January 2016)
- Main Title:
- European roe deer antlers as an environmental archive for fallout 236U and 239Pu
- Authors:
- Froehlich, M.B.
Steier, P.
Wallner, G.
Fifield, L.K. - Abstract:
- Abstract: Anthropogenic 236 U and 239 Pu were measured in European roe deer antlers hunted between 1955 and 1977 which covers and extends beyond the period of intensive nuclear weapons testing (1954–1962). The antlers were hunting trophies, and hence the hunting area, the year of shooting and the approximate age of each animal is given. Uranium and plutonium are known to deposit in skeletal tissue. Since antler histology is similar to bone, both elements were expected in antlers. Furthermore, roe deer shed their antlers annually, and hence antlers may provide a time-resolved environmental archive for fallout radionuclides. The radiochemical procedure is based on a Pu separation step by anion exchange (Dowex 1 × 8) and a subsequent U purification by extraction chromatography using UTEVA ® . The samples were measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at the VERA facility (University of Vienna). In addition to the 236 U and 239 Pu concentrations, the 240 Pu/ 239 Pu isotopic ratios were determined with a mean value of 0.172 ± 0.023 which is in agreement with the ratio of global fallout (∼0.18). Rather high 236 U/ 238 U ratios of the order of 10 −6 were observed. These measured ratios, where the 236 U arises only from global fallout, have implications for the use of the 236 U/ 238 U ratio as a fingerprint for nuclear accidents or releases from nuclear facilities. Our investigations have shown the potential to use antlers as a temporally resolved archive for the uptake of actinidesAbstract: Anthropogenic 236 U and 239 Pu were measured in European roe deer antlers hunted between 1955 and 1977 which covers and extends beyond the period of intensive nuclear weapons testing (1954–1962). The antlers were hunting trophies, and hence the hunting area, the year of shooting and the approximate age of each animal is given. Uranium and plutonium are known to deposit in skeletal tissue. Since antler histology is similar to bone, both elements were expected in antlers. Furthermore, roe deer shed their antlers annually, and hence antlers may provide a time-resolved environmental archive for fallout radionuclides. The radiochemical procedure is based on a Pu separation step by anion exchange (Dowex 1 × 8) and a subsequent U purification by extraction chromatography using UTEVA ® . The samples were measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at the VERA facility (University of Vienna). In addition to the 236 U and 239 Pu concentrations, the 240 Pu/ 239 Pu isotopic ratios were determined with a mean value of 0.172 ± 0.023 which is in agreement with the ratio of global fallout (∼0.18). Rather high 236 U/ 238 U ratios of the order of 10 −6 were observed. These measured ratios, where the 236 U arises only from global fallout, have implications for the use of the 236 U/ 238 U ratio as a fingerprint for nuclear accidents or releases from nuclear facilities. Our investigations have shown the potential to use antlers as a temporally resolved archive for the uptake of actinides from the environment. Highlights: Roe deer antlers were studied as an environmental archive for the retrospective study of fallout isotopes 236 U and 239 Pu. The rather high 236 U/ 238 U ratios of about 10 −6 suggest 236 U as a fingerprint tool for nuclear material releases. The 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratio underpins global fallout as the main anthropogenic contributor in antlers. … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Journal of environmental radioactivity. Volume 151:Part 3(2016:Jan.)
- Journal:
- Journal of environmental radioactivity
- Issue:
- Volume 151:Part 3(2016:Jan.)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 151, Issue 3, Part 3 (2016)
- Year:
- 2016
- Volume:
- 151
- Issue:
- 3
- Part:
- 3
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2016-0151-0003-0003
- Page Start:
- 587
- Page End:
- 592
- Publication Date:
- 2016-01
- Subjects:
- Accelerator Mass Spectrometry -- AMS -- 236U -- 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratio -- environmental archive
Radioactivity -- Periodicals
Radiation, Background -- Periodicals
Radioecology -- Periodicals
Radioactive pollution -- Periodicals
Environmental Pollutants -- Periodicals
Radioactive Pollutants -- Periodicals
Radioactivity -- Periodicals
Radioécologie -- Périodiques
Pollution radioactive -- Périodiques
Fond de rayonnement -- Périodiques
539.752 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0265931X ↗
http://www.elsevier.com/journals ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2015.06.008 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0265-931X
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4979.392000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 8102.xml