Investigation of an alleged nuclear incident at Greenham Common Airbase using TI-mass spectrometric measurements of uranium isotopes
Investigation of an alleged nuclear incident at Greenham Common Airbase using TI-mass spectrometric measurements of uranium isotopes
Uranium isotopic compositions were determined in over 500 soil samples from the Greenham Common Air Base and in surrounding west Berkshire and north Hampshire, England to detect potential contamination from an alleged 1958 nuclear incident. Owing to the large number of samples collected for the study, the short reporting time expected, and the potentially subtle nature of any contamination, a rapid and highly precise method of uranium analysis was developed. High precision 238U/235U mass spectrometric measurements are required to see slight excesses in any anthropogenic component. The reproducibility for measurements of uranium isotopic ratios in standards and soil samples was better than 0.26% at the 3 uncertainty level. Despite an intensive study around the airbase no evidence was found for any contamination by uranium of anomalous isotopic composition. Plutonium measurements were also made to support the U analysis and were found to be consistent with atmospheric bomb fallout for the United Kingdom. The detection of subtle (though radiologically insignificant) amounts of U contamination around a nearby nuclear weapons site illustrates the usefulness and effectiveness of this approach in environmental surveys.
4496-4503
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Warwick, P.E.
f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef
Taylor, R.N.
094be7fd-ef61-4acd-a795-7daba2bc6183
Cundy, A.B.
994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08
2000
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Warwick, P.E.
f2675d83-eee2-40c5-b53d-fbe437f401ef
Taylor, R.N.
094be7fd-ef61-4acd-a795-7daba2bc6183
Cundy, A.B.
994fdc96-2dce-40f4-b74b-dc638286eb08
Croudace, I.W., Warwick, P.E., Taylor, R.N. and Cundy, A.B.
(2000)
Investigation of an alleged nuclear incident at Greenham Common Airbase using TI-mass spectrometric measurements of uranium isotopes.
Environmental Science & Technology, 34 (21), .
(doi:10.1021/es000032m).
Abstract
Uranium isotopic compositions were determined in over 500 soil samples from the Greenham Common Air Base and in surrounding west Berkshire and north Hampshire, England to detect potential contamination from an alleged 1958 nuclear incident. Owing to the large number of samples collected for the study, the short reporting time expected, and the potentially subtle nature of any contamination, a rapid and highly precise method of uranium analysis was developed. High precision 238U/235U mass spectrometric measurements are required to see slight excesses in any anthropogenic component. The reproducibility for measurements of uranium isotopic ratios in standards and soil samples was better than 0.26% at the 3 uncertainty level. Despite an intensive study around the airbase no evidence was found for any contamination by uranium of anomalous isotopic composition. Plutonium measurements were also made to support the U analysis and were found to be consistent with atmospheric bomb fallout for the United Kingdom. The detection of subtle (though radiologically insignificant) amounts of U contamination around a nearby nuclear weapons site illustrates the usefulness and effectiveness of this approach in environmental surveys.
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Published date: 2000
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Local EPrints ID: 1296
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/1296
ISSN: 0013-936X
PURE UUID: 448b64dc-6f42-4aa6-81ab-cfeddd5677f9
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Date deposited: 15 Apr 2004
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:21
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