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Vertical distribution and migration of plutonium in the Loess Plateau, North Shaanxi, China

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Abstract

The vertical distribution and migration behavior of 239+240Pu in a soil core in northern Loess Plateau in Shaanxi Province was investigated. The results showed that the 239+240Pu activity concentration was in the range of 0.02–0.75 mBq/g. The measured atom ratios of 240Pu/239Pu in the soil profile varied from 0.179 to 0.201 and were consistent with the typical global fallout. The inventory of 239+240Pu was 66 Bq/m2 in the sampling site and the proportion of Pu in the first 10 cm top layer accounted for around 75%. The apparent convection velocity and effective dispersion coefficient were 0.19 cm/year and 0.12 cm2/year by the convection dispersion equation model, respectively. Further investigation is still highly required to clarify the dominant factors that control Pu migration.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by National Key Research and Invention Program of the Thirteenth (No. 2017YFC0504702); National Natural Science Funds of China (No. 41571260, 41701321); The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. GK201803047, GK201903075, GK201703051). Authors thank Dr. Huang Zhaoya for their support to sample analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710119, China

    Liguo Cao, Zhengchao Zhou & Ning Wang

  2. Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900, China

    Zhongtang Wang

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  1. Liguo Cao
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  2. Zhengchao Zhou
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  3. Ning Wang
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  4. Zhongtang Wang
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Correspondence to Liguo Cao or Zhengchao Zhou.

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Cao, L., Zhou, Z., Wang, N. et al. Vertical distribution and migration of plutonium in the Loess Plateau, North Shaanxi, China. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 322, 649–654 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-019-06744-x

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