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Applications of Transuranics as Tracers and Chronometers in the Environment

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Book cover Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry

Part of the book series: Advances in Isotope Geochemistry ((ADISOTOPE))

Abstract

The transuranic elements (TRU) Np, Pu, Am, and Cm have prominently emerged as powerful tracers of earth and environmental processes, applicable to the recent, post nuclear-era timescale. Various long-lived isotopes of these elements are found in the earth’s surface environment, almost exclusively as a result of nuclear weapons production, testing, or nuclear fuel cycle activities. A globally recognizable signal, of consistent composition, from stratospheric fallout derived from 1950–1960 above-ground weapons tests is itself useful in tracing applications; in specific local/regional settings, stratospheric fallout is mixed with or dominated by other TRU sources with contrasting isotopic signatures. Both decay-counting and MS approaches have been utilized to measure the concentrations and isotopic ratios of TRU and are useful as discriminators for source characterization, provenance, and apportionment. Examples include the activity ratios 238Pu/239+240Pu, 241Am/239+240Pu, and 241Pu/239+240Pu; atom ratios such as 240Pu/239Pu, 237Np/239Pu, 241Pu/239Pu, and 242Pu/239Pu are also used in this context. Of the TRU elements, Pu is by far the most widely studied; accordingly, this chapter mainly emphasizes the use of Pu activities and/or atom ratios as tracers and/or chronometers. Nevertheless, Pu is sometimes measured in combination with one or more isotopes of other elements. The TRU elements offer several prominent applications in environmental/geochemical tracing: (1) chronostratigraphy of sediments and related recent Holocene deposits; (2) using fallout TRU as quantitative probes of soil erosion, transport and deposition; (3) investigating water mass circulation, the transport and scavenging of particulate matter, and tracking the marine geochemical behavior of the TRU elements themselves in the marine environment; and (4) studies of the local/regional transport, deposition and inventories of non-fallout TRU in the surficial environment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank J.W. Mietelski for providing the alpha spectrum shown in Fig. 20.3. The authors are indebted to J.W. Mietelski, T.C. Kenna, one anonymous reviewer, and the editorship of M. Baskaran for constructive criticisms of the manuscript. MEK acknowledges ICPMS instrumentation support from Intel Corp., NSF MRI Award No. CHE0118604, and the State of Arizona Technology Research and Innovation Fund. MEK also owes thanks for nearly two decades of rich and productive interactions with many students and collaborators, and is gratefully indebted to JAK for perspective and inspiration towards facing apparent difficulties in life.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, 5698, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-5698, USA

    Michael E. Ketterer

  2. Environmental Radiation Effects Research Group, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, 4-9-1 Anagawa, Inage, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan

    Jian Zheng & Masatoshi Yamada

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  1. Michael E. Ketterer
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  2. Jian Zheng
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Correspondence to Michael E. Ketterer .

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  1. Dept. Geology, Wayne State University, Detroit, 48202, Michigan, USA

    Mark Baskaran

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Ketterer, M.E., Zheng, J., Yamada, M. (2012). Applications of Transuranics as Tracers and Chronometers in the Environment. In: Baskaran, M. (eds) Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry. Advances in Isotope Geochemistry. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10637-8_20

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