On problem of ultrasensitive determination of man-made plutonium in livingspecies

To improve the sensitivity of the method of Pu determination in specimens w e applied two additional steps of chemical separation of Pu from U. After t he Usual chemical separation of Pu we used second step with ion-exchange co lumn, where the ions of U4+ were absorbed by sorbent and Pu3+ ions remains in solution. For converting Plutonium to Pu3+ State the electrochemical pro cedure has been used. After the electrochernical separation procedure the s olution was deposited onto quartz glass. Then the quartz glass plates were inserted into the gas mixture flow (SOCL2+air) at the temperature 650 degre es C. Such a procedure extracts >90% U from Pu layer. Now we provide the ch emical separation of Pu from U by a factor greater than or equal to 10(7). It means that now we are able to perform the routine Pu analysis-at the lev el of sensitivity 10(-14)-10(-15) g/g. By using combined n-gamma activation technique we can determine the Pu cont ent in the small fragments of tissues of living species with the weight as small as 0,05-0,1 gram. The new technique could be used in routine analysis of Pu in population of heavily Pu damaged regions (Chernobyl, Ural Region, Semipalatinsk).