nerc.ac.uk

A method for continuous239Pu determinations in Arctic and Antarctic ice cores

Arienzo, Monica Michelle; McConnell, Joseph R.; Chellman, Nathan; Criscitiello, Alison Sara; Curran, Mark; Fritzsche, Diedrich; Kipfstuhl, Sepp; Mulvaney, Robert ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5372-8148; Nolan, Matt; Opel, Thomas; Sigl, Michael; Steffensen, J-P. 2016 A method for continuous239Pu determinations in Arctic and Antarctic ice cores. Environmental Science & Technology, 50 (13). 7066-7073. 10.1021/acs.est.6b01108

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.
[thumbnail of Arienzo_etal_2016.pdf] Text
Copyright American Chemical Society
Arienzo_etal_2016.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to NORA staff only

Download (1MB) | Request a copy
[thumbnail of Arienzo_et_al_NWT_May2016_V1.pdf]
Preview
Text
Copyright American Chemical Society
Arienzo_et_al_NWT_May2016_V1.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (577kB) | Preview

Abstract/Summary

Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing (NWT) resulted in the injection of plutonium (Pu) into the atmosphere and subsequent global deposition. We present a new method for continuous semi-quantitative measurement of 239Pu in ice cores, which was used to develop annual records of fallout from NWT in ten ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica. The 239Pu was measured directly using an Inductively Coupled Plasma – Sector Field Mass Spectrometer, thereby reducing analysis time and increasing depth-resolution with respect to previous methods. To validate this method, we compared our one year averaged results to published 239Pu records and other records of NWT. The 239Pu profiles from four Arctic ice cores reflected global trends in NWT and were in agreement with discrete Pu profiles from lower latitude ice cores. The 239Pu measurements in the Antarctic ice cores tracked low latitude NWT, consistent with previously published discrete records from Antarctica. Advantages of the continuous 239Pu measurement method are (1) reduced sample preparation and analysis time; (2) no requirement for additional ice samples for NWT fallout determinations; (3) measurements are exactly co-registered with all other chemical, elemental, isotopic, and gas measurements from the continuous analytical system; and (4) the long half-life means the 239Pu record is stable through time.

Item Type: Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1021/acs.est.6b01108
Programmes: BAS Programmes > BAS Programmes 2015 > Ice Dynamics and Palaeoclimate
ISSN: 0013-936X
Date made live: 13 Jun 2016 13:13 +0 (UTC)
URI: https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/513803

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item

Document Downloads

Downloads for past 30 days

Downloads per month over past year

More statistics for this item...