Reevaluation of Pu electrodeposits for measurement of environmental samples by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

The different plutonium (Pu) isotopes have been present during the last 85 years due to nuclear events; given their low abundance and long half-life, the analysis of Pu is possible using the AMS technique. The present work analyzes the optimization of the Pu extraction protocol and the tuning of the system to open the line of study of this element in the LEMA by characterizing Pu alpha sources and their subsequent recovery for AMS measurement. The results show a chemical yield within a range of 38 -86% with the optimal extraction and electrodeposition conditions, while the recovery results indicate that it is possible to obtain up to 86.46% of the total electrodeposit for study by AMS.