Plutonium isotopes 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Pu in the Baltic Sea ecosystem

In the paper there are presented the results of plutonium 238Pu, 239+240Pu and 241Pu determination in different samples of the Baltic Sea environment. 238Pu and 239+240Pu isotopes were measured in alpha spectrometer and 241Pu results were calculated indirectly by activity measurements of 241Am isotope increase from b-emitting 241Pu in 16-18 years after Chernobyl accident. The results indicate that the Baltic organisms accumulate plutonium from environment and the bioconcentration factors (BCF) range from 100 for fish to 27,000 for priapulida (benthic organisms) and only 0.1% of total plutonium is deposited in living organisms. Almost whole plutonium is deposited in Baltic sediments (about 99%). The results of 241Pu determination indicate that after Chernobyl accident indicate on its high concentration in analyzed components of the Baltic Sea ecosystem and the highest value of the activity ratios 241Pu/239+240Pu were found in seawater (140).