Alpha-radioactive isotopes in the marine environment.
type: CreativeWork
description: Various marine organisms collected from southern hemisphere waters around Cape Town were analysed by radiochemistry and alpha-spectrometry for Pu-239, 240. Many of these organisms were also analysed for Pu-238, Po-210 and - those isotopes of thorium and uranium that are alpha-emitters. In some samples an estimate of the Ra-226 content was also made. The Pu-239 concentrations are compared with the values reported in the literature for similar organisms found in the northern-hemisphere and an attempt is made to relate the differences in concentration to differences in the quantity of fall-out Pu-239 delivered to the sea-surface in the two hemispheres. Within the limits of experimental error it appears that the Pu-239 content of recent fall-out is reflected in the Pu-239 concentration in many marine organisms.
abstract: Various marine organisms collected from southern hemisphere waters around Cape Town were analysed by radiochemistry and alpha-spectrometry for Pu-239, 240. Many of these organisms were also analysed for Pu-238, Po-210 and - those isotopes of thorium and uranium that are alpha-emitters. In some samples an estimate of the Ra-226 content was also made. The Pu-239 concentrations are compared with the values reported in the literature for similar organisms found in the northern-hemisphere and an attempt is made to relate the differences in concentration to differences in the quantity of fall-out Pu-239 delivered to the sea-surface in the two hemispheres. Within the limits of experimental error it appears that the Pu-239 content of recent fall-out is reflected in the Pu-239 concentration in many marine organisms.
author: Higgo, Jennifer Joan Wynne
language: eng
date published: 1975
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:23:29Z
provider: University of Cape Town
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Department of Physics

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/12329