Snap Plutonium-238 Fallout at Ispra, Italy

Sedimentological reconstruction of the recent pattern of mercury pollution in the Niagara River

“…First, the earliest pulse of plutonium in our Niagara delta cores is characterized by a relatively high ratio of 238Pu to 239'240Pu. Worldwide fallout should at the time assigned to this level have been dominated (17) by debris from the Ivy-Mike Test (Oct 1952), but this signal was not high in 238Pu (18)(19)(20). It is likely, rather, that the high 238:239,240 ratio should be attributed to one or more local events from tropospheric clouds of debris from the Nevada test site, like that reported by Clark (21).…”

The origin of plutonium in the atmosphere.

“…It appeared as if the recent volcanic erup cally powered satellite SNAP-9A (Systems for tions may have played an important role in alter Nuclear Auxiliary Power) have been studied ing the stratospheric inventory of plutonium during the past two decades by several investi during the past few years. Meanwhile, a number gators (Harley, 1964;Krey, 1967; Mamuro and of reports on the occurrence of `natural' pluto Matsunami) 1969; Debartoli and Gaglione, 1969; nium in volcanic samples have appeared in the Miyake et al, 1970;Hardy et al, 1973;Gavini literature. Meier et al (1974), for example, and Kuroda, 1977;Holloway and Hayes, 1982; reported Pu/U ratios of up to 10`' atom/atom Katsuragi et al, 1982).…”

Use of plutonium isotope activity ratios in dating recent sediments. [/sup 238/Pu//sup 239/Pu + /sup 240/Pu]

“…(Krey·et ~-1976). Superimposed on-this isotopic Pu signature of fallout debris was an additional contribution of 238 Pu from a SNAP-9A generator reentry and burn-up, whose radioactivity was first detected at ground -4level at middle latitudes in the northern hemisphere in mid-1966 (deBortoli andGaglione, 1969;Perkins and Thomas, 1980). These events serve as unique markers in time and since Pu has been shown by a number of investigators to readily associate with particulate matter in aquatic environments (Noshkin and Bowen, 1973;IAEA, 1976) (Fig.…”