Determination of plutonium by alpha spectrometry

Abstract

Determination of actinides in the environmental and bioassay samples is important in view of the following factors: increasing energy production by nuclear reactors; environmental contamination due to fallout from nuclear weapons testing and burn up of nuclear-powered satellites; the growing emphasis on the desirability of a cleaner environment; and public concern over the potential hazards associated with nuclear reactors. Among the various actinides, plutonium is one of the most important due to the large amounts produced in the nuclear fuel cycle. Further, the extremely low levels of plutonium in the different biological and environmental samples demand the development of precise, accurate, and sensitive methods to arrive at meaningful conclusions from the results obtained in various studies. In addition to various other techniques available, alpha spectrometry is commonly used.