MAN-MADE PLUTONIUM IN ENVIRONMENT - POSSIBLE SERIOUS HAZARD FOR LIVING SPECIES

It is pointed out that, contrary to the situation with natural Rn, the growing concentration of man-made Pu in environment - natural water, soil, plants and food - can provide the serious danger for all kind of animals and especially for mankind. Really, as it was established rec ently, element Pu is accumulated in human body during all the life and the dangerous concentration estimated to be 10(-12) - 10(-13) gram Pu per gram of human tissues. Unfortunately up to now there are no simpl e nonexpensive methods of Pu determination at the level of sensitivity 10(-14) - 10(15) g/g which can provide the determination of Pu even i n 0.2 g of human tissue. We warn that now the average concentration of Pu in human body is not less than 10(-14) g/g and much higher for som e ''hot'' regions in Europe and Asia. We propose to discuss the proble m of organizing world net exploration of Pu in environment - similarly to Rn exploration program - and personnel Pu monitoring for inhibitio ns of Pu damaged regions. Our approach to the problem is based on chem ical separation of Pu, on determination of Plutonium by high fission c ross section with thermal neutrons Pu-239(n, f) reaction and by contro l of possible admixture of U-235 isotope by U-238(gamma, f) reaction i n Pu preparations. The problem of increasing of sensitivity of Pu anal ysis up to 10(-14) - 10(-15) g/g is discussed in detail.