Effect of land use and vegetation coverage on level and distribution of plutonium isotopes in the northern Loess Plateau, China

Ten soil cores were collected from slopes and gully bottoms in the Loess Plateau, China, and analyzed for plutonium isotopes to investigate their source, level, and distribution in the Liudaogou Catchment of the Loess Plateau. The soil ^240Pu/239Pu atomic ratios (0.158–0.209) suggested that global fallout is the dominant source of Pu in this area. The ^239,240Pu inventories (0.94–77.91 Bq m⁻²) indicated that up to 80% of Pu was lost due to severe soil erosion in the past decades. Land use types, vegetation coverage, and topography significantly influence the preservation and redistribution of Pu, and alfalfa might be a promising restoration plant for mitigating soil erosion on the northern Loess Plateau.