Rapid dating of recent sediments in Loch Ness: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of global fallout plutonium

Michael E. Ketterer; Kevin M. Hafer; Vivienne J. Jones; Peter G. Appleby

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.016

Rapid dating of recent sediments in Loch Ness: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of global fallout plutonium

Michael E. Ketterer, Kevin M. Hafer, Vivienne J. Jones, Peter G. Appleby

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

93 Scopus citations

Abstract

The ^239+240Pu activity profile is determined for a sediment core collected from 170-m depth at Loch Ness, Scotland. These measurements use magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for rapid determination of Pu activities and ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios. A ^239+240Pu detection limit of 0.1 Bq/kg is obtained for 2 g of acid-leached sediment; ²⁴²Pu is used as a spike isotope. The Pu activity profile exhibits a maximum of 42.7±0.3 Bq/kg ^239+240Pu in the 9-10-cm depth interval. The position of this maximum coincides with peaks in the ²⁴¹Am and ¹³⁷Cs activity profiles. These peak activities are ascribed to the 1963/1964 peak fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios are in the range 0.15-0.20, in agreement with the expected range of 0.166-0.194 for Northern Hemisphere fallout, and do not suggest the presence of other contributing sources. This study demonstrates that ICPMS has considerable potential for rapid determination of the chronology of post-1950 sediments, and also for validating ²¹⁰Pb dates where chronologies over longer time-scales are needed.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	221-229
Number of pages	9
Journal	Science of the Total Environment
Volume	322
Issue number	1-3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.016
State	Published - Apr 25 2004

Keywords

Chronology
Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Lake sediments
Loch Ness
Plutonium

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Engineering
Environmental Chemistry
Waste Management and Disposal
Pollution

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10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.016

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title = "Rapid dating of recent sediments in Loch Ness: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of global fallout plutonium",

abstract = "The 239+240Pu activity profile is determined for a sediment core collected from 170-m depth at Loch Ness, Scotland. These measurements use magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for rapid determination of Pu activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios. A 239+240Pu detection limit of 0.1 Bq/kg is obtained for 2 g of acid-leached sediment; 242Pu is used as a spike isotope. The Pu activity profile exhibits a maximum of 42.7±0.3 Bq/kg 239+240Pu in the 9-10-cm depth interval. The position of this maximum coincides with peaks in the 241Am and 137Cs activity profiles. These peak activities are ascribed to the 1963/1964 peak fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios are in the range 0.15-0.20, in agreement with the expected range of 0.166-0.194 for Northern Hemisphere fallout, and do not suggest the presence of other contributing sources. This study demonstrates that ICPMS has considerable potential for rapid determination of the chronology of post-1950 sediments, and also for validating 210Pb dates where chronologies over longer time-scales are needed.",

keywords = "Chronology, Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Lake sediments, Loch Ness, Plutonium",

author = "Ketterer, {Michael E.} and Hafer, {Kevin M.} and Jones, {Vivienne J.} and Appleby, {Peter G.}",

note = "Funding Information: M.E.K. acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation research grant EAR-0125934. The sector ICPMS was funded through National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant CHE-0116804 (to M.E.K.). ",

year = "2004",

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doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.09.016",

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T1 - Rapid dating of recent sediments in Loch Ness

T2 - Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of global fallout plutonium

AU - Ketterer, Michael E.

AU - Hafer, Kevin M.

AU - Jones, Vivienne J.

AU - Appleby, Peter G.

N1 - Funding Information: M.E.K. acknowledges funding from the National Science Foundation research grant EAR-0125934. The sector ICPMS was funded through National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant CHE-0116804 (to M.E.K.).

PY - 2004/4/25

Y1 - 2004/4/25

N2 - The 239+240Pu activity profile is determined for a sediment core collected from 170-m depth at Loch Ness, Scotland. These measurements use magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for rapid determination of Pu activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios. A 239+240Pu detection limit of 0.1 Bq/kg is obtained for 2 g of acid-leached sediment; 242Pu is used as a spike isotope. The Pu activity profile exhibits a maximum of 42.7±0.3 Bq/kg 239+240Pu in the 9-10-cm depth interval. The position of this maximum coincides with peaks in the 241Am and 137Cs activity profiles. These peak activities are ascribed to the 1963/1964 peak fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios are in the range 0.15-0.20, in agreement with the expected range of 0.166-0.194 for Northern Hemisphere fallout, and do not suggest the presence of other contributing sources. This study demonstrates that ICPMS has considerable potential for rapid determination of the chronology of post-1950 sediments, and also for validating 210Pb dates where chronologies over longer time-scales are needed.

AB - The 239+240Pu activity profile is determined for a sediment core collected from 170-m depth at Loch Ness, Scotland. These measurements use magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for rapid determination of Pu activities and 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios. A 239+240Pu detection limit of 0.1 Bq/kg is obtained for 2 g of acid-leached sediment; 242Pu is used as a spike isotope. The Pu activity profile exhibits a maximum of 42.7±0.3 Bq/kg 239+240Pu in the 9-10-cm depth interval. The position of this maximum coincides with peaks in the 241Am and 137Cs activity profiles. These peak activities are ascribed to the 1963/1964 peak fallout from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios are in the range 0.15-0.20, in agreement with the expected range of 0.166-0.194 for Northern Hemisphere fallout, and do not suggest the presence of other contributing sources. This study demonstrates that ICPMS has considerable potential for rapid determination of the chronology of post-1950 sediments, and also for validating 210Pb dates where chronologies over longer time-scales are needed.

KW - Chronology

KW - Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

KW - Lake sediments

KW - Loch Ness

KW - Plutonium

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Rapid dating of recent sediments in Loch Ness: Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric measurements of global fallout plutonium

Abstract

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