Heterogeneity Effects in Plutonium Contaminated Soil

<p>In 1960 at the McGuire Air Force Base New Egypt New Jersey a helium tank ruptured causing a fire to ignite a nearby nuclear tipped Boeing Michigan Aeronautical Research Center (BOMARC) missile. During the fire the weapons grade plutonium (Pu-239 Pu-240 and Pu-241) ignited and was released into the surrounding area due to both firefighting efforts where high pressure water was used to put out the fire as well as smoke that deposited plutonium as oxidized particles in the surrounding area (Cicotte 2007). This study investigates the heterogeneity of the distributed plutonium contamination in the McGuire Air Force Base BOMARC missile site soil based upon direct measurements of Am-241 a decay product of Pu-241. The heterogeneity of soil samples taken from the BOMARC missile site was quantified using a conjugate counting method with gamma spectroscopy analysis. Plutonium was shown to be heterogeneously distributed in the BOMARC missile site soil.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>