DETERMINATION OF ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF PLUTONIUM IN HOT PARTICLES OF THE CHERNOBYL AREA

The knowledge of the isotopic composition of man-made transuranium ele ments (TUE) in the environmental samples is of great interest because, on the basis of these data, statements about the origin of the TUE ca n be made. One of the most radiotoxic elements released during reactor accidents and nuclear weapons tests was plutonium with the alpha emit ters Pu-238, Pu-219, Pu-240 Pu-242 and the beta-emitter Pu-241 which d ecays into Am-241. The determination of plutonium in ''hot'' particles from the Chernobyl reactor was accomplished by means of solid state n uclear track detectors registering the alpha particles and by alpha sp ectroscopy after chemical treatment. Furthermore, in order to perform a complete analysis of the isotopic composition one of the ''hot'' par ticles has been investigated by resonance ionization mass spectrometry which possesses an excellent sensitivity and a good isotopic resoluti on.