Plutonium in tree rings from France and Japan

Changes in the distribution of radiocesium in the wood of Japanese cedar trees from 2011 to 2013

“…Only Mahara et al (2014) reported on Japanese cedar and Konara oak (Quercus serrata), and found similar results as those by Garrec et al (1995). These 137 Cs distributions reported by the Garrec et al (1995) and Mahara et al (2014) were the initial state during the early phase. 137 Cs distribution in the wood of whole tree during the early phase is important for understanding the process of 137 Cs transportation.…”

“…4c), and it was predicted to approach the equilibrium state in the wood. Garrec et al (1995) reported 137 Cs concentration of white fir in France 3 years after the Chernobyl accident, in which 137 Cs concentration in the wood decreased exponentially toward the center. It was only the work of the wood contamination during the early phase.…”

“…Only Garrec et al (1995) examined 137 Cs distribution of white fir (Abies alba) in France 3 years after the Chernobyl accident and it differed from that at the steady phase. Following the accident at Fukushima, some studies have investigated tree and forest contamination (Kato et al, 2012;Hashimoto et al, 2013;Kuroda et al, 2013).…”

Recent chronologies for tree rings and terrestrial archives using 14C bomb fallout history

“…Incorporation of 14 CO 2 to the biosphere takes place via photosynthesis. A time sequence of atmospheric isotopic concentrations is recorded when 14 C is incorporated into the cell walls of annual growth rings (Olsson and Possnert, 1992;Dai and Fan, 1986), and the exceptional value of tree ring analysis in historical environmental reconstructions is increasingly recognized (e.g., Haas and Müller, 1995;Garrec et al, 1995;Padilla and Anderson, 2002). The depression of global 14 C concentrations due to fossil fuel combustion has also been demonstrated through analysis of the isotopic content in tree rings (Stuiver and Quay, 1981).…”

Automatic sequential separation with an anion-exchange column for ultra-trace analysis of Pu, U, Th, Pb, and lanthanides in environmental samples

“…Especially for U and Pu, their origin can be identified by analyzing the isotope ratios. Pu amounts, along with other radionuclide concentrations, have been measured in environmental samples, such as lake sediment cores [4], ice cores [12], and tree rings [13]. These samples provide reliable chronological information, but it is difficult to determine the ultra-trace Pu contents in these samples because the Pu contents range from sub-pg kg -1 to sub-ng kg -1 .…”