Geochemical association of plutonium in sediments of the Trombay coastal environment

Geochemical association of plutonium in the coastal environment of Trombay has been studied. A sequential leaching method was employed for chemical partitioning of plutonium in sediments. The results show that 95±15% of plutonium was extracted by different leaching reagents out of which 85±14% was associated with organic matter and hydrous oxide and 9±4% with residual fraction.The presence of significant fraction of Pu bound with organic matter of the sediment is an important factor in determining the extent to which an element becomes available to bottom feeding biota and so enters the aquatic food chain.