Determination of U-236 in sediment samples by accelerator mass spectrometry |
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Authors: | Marsden O J Livens F R Day J P Fifield L K Goodall P S |
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Affiliation: | Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK M13 9PL. olivia.j.marsden@stud.man.ac.uk |
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Abstract: | 236U is produced only by neutron irradiation of uranium and therefore is potentially useful as a marker for anthropogenic uranium in the environment. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) provides a technique for the determination of very low concentrations of actinide nuclides, and has now been applied to the determination of 236U:235U ratios in an intertidal sediment core collected from the North Irish Sea. Combining measurements of the 238U mass concentrations calculated from alpha spectrometry with 238U:235U ratios from ICP-MS and 236U:235U ratios from AMS has allowed the estimation of the mass concentrations of 236U in the sediments. 236U mass concentrations are in the range 10(-8) to 10(-9) g kg-1, and 236U:238U atom ratios in the range from 10(-5) to 10(-6), well above natural baseline levels. Uncertainties based on propagation of measurement errors were less than +/- 10% although +/- 15% is perhaps a more realistic estimate of overall uncertainty. |
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