[Estimation of the levels of plutonium isotopes in soil and bed deposits during environmental radiological monitoring].

The paper deals with the development of a highly sensitive method for determining plutonium isotopes (238Pu, 239Pu + 240Pu, 242Pu) in the solid samples of environmental objects with preliminary radiochemical preparation. The chosen conditions for preparation of samples permit effective separation of plutonium from mixing alpha-radiating radionuclides and allow plutonium to release in the radiochemically pure form to a sample to be calculated. Spectrometric measurements of the calculated samples and identification of isotopes were made on a "Progress-alpha" alpha-spectrometric unit having a silicon semiconductor detector. The developed procedure is rather reliable in identifying and estimating the content of major plutonium isotopes in the soil and bed deposits at their background values (1 Bc/kg or higher). The paper presents the results of analysis of samples of the soil selected during radioecological monitoring in the South-Western Okrug of Moscow, as well as the alpha-spectra obtained.