Retrospective determination of U and Pu isotopes and atom ratios in lung samples from Vienna, Austria

G Wallner; P Zima; W Moser; H Uguz; M G Bartmann; P Steier; K Hain

doi:10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106965

Retrospective determination of U and Pu isotopes and atom ratios in lung samples from Vienna, Austria

J Environ Radioact. 2022 Oct:251-252:106965. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106965. Epub 2022 Jul 14.

Authors

G Wallner¹, P Zima², W Moser², H Uguz², M G Bartmann², P Steier³, K Hain³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstr. 42, A-1090, Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: gabriele.wallner@univie.ac.at.
² Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Währingerstr. 42, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
³ Faculty of Physics, Isotope Physics, University of Vienna, Währingerstr. 17, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.

PMID: 35843081
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2022.106965

Abstract

Uranium and plutonium isotope concentrations as well as ²³⁶U/²³⁸U and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios were measured by AMS in human lung samples from the early 1960s. The ²³⁶U concentrations as well as the ²³⁶U/²³⁸U atom ratios show a maximum in 1964, ²³⁹Pu and ²⁴⁰Pu concentrations are increasing continually from 1962 to 1965. ²³⁶U/²³⁸U atom ratios are lower by two orders of magnitude compared to corresponding aerosol data from Vienna, probably due to older ²³⁸U deposited in the lungs, enhanced ²³⁸U concentrations in the city air, and activity partition within different particle sizes. The ²³⁶U/²³⁹Pu atom ratios in lung samples are also lower than expected from the aerosol data, while ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios lie well within the range typical for nuclear bomb fallout.

Keywords: (236)U/(238)U; (240)Pu/(239)Pu; AMS; Bomb peak; Human lungs.

MeSH terms

Austria
Humans
Lung / chemistry
Plutonium* / analysis
Radiation Monitoring*
Radioactive Fallout* / analysis
Retrospective Studies

Substances

Radioactive Fallout
Plutonium