The 239Pu nuclear fallout as recorded in an Antarctic ice core drilled at Dome C (East Antarctica)

Starting from 1952 C.E. more than 540 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests (NWT) were conducted in different locations of the Earth. This lead to the injection of about 2.8 t of 239Pu in the environment, roughly corresponding to a total 239Pu radioactivity of 6.5 PBq. A semiquantitative ICP-MS method was used to measure this isotope in an ice core drilled in Dome C (East Antarctica). The age scale for the ice core studied in this work was built by searching for well-known volcanic signatures and synchronising these sulfate spikes with established ice core chronologies. The reconstructed plutonium deposition history was compared with previously published NWT records, pointing out an overall agreement. The geographical location of the tests was found to be an important parameter strongly affecting the concentration of 239Pu on the Antarctic ice sheet. Despite the low yield of the tests conducted in the 1970s, we highlight their important role in the deposition of radioactivity in Antarctica due to the relative closeness of the testing sites.

Automated summary

More than 540 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests (NWT) have been conducted since 1952, leading to the release of approximately 2.8 t of 239Pu into the environment. A study analyzed an ice core from Dome C in East Antarctica and compared the plutonium deposition history with previously published NWT records, finding overall agreement. The geographical location of the tests was found to be an important factor affecting the concentration of 239Pu on the Antarctic ice sheet.