International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE)
Abstract
When internalized within an organism’s body, plutonium (Pu) can be important in dose calculation due to its relatively high-energy alpha emissions (~5-6 MeV). In this paper we quantify transfer of Pu to a range of wildlife types at legacy nuclear weapons sites and evaluate the importance of body tissue Pu distribution in the transfer of Pu through the food chain. The paper presents new data from Maralinga, Australia, as well as past data from terrestrial and marine settings of the US nuclear research program
