~l. Plutonium Vet: and Public Plutonium occurs ttealth in nature, although in such small wl Ounts that it Coes not constiltete a practical source ci the element’. Plutonium is bred in nuclear reactors by the capture of neutrons in uranium-238. To date, the nuclear weapons program has been the principal source of plutonium. However, it is anticipated that the commercial nuclear power industry will become the principal source of this material within the next two decades. In today's commercial reactors plutonium is produced as a by-product in the production of electricity. As a result of the growth of the nuclear power industry, --€& AEC estimates that the ectal cumulative orceducticn of clutonium in the commercial sector of the United States will be some 4.5 million kilograms by the year 20007. piutonium, like uranium, can serve as a reactor Since fZuel, both are vécovered from spent reactor fuel in anticipation that Fr “ney will be recycled. 2/ The reactor together with the variety The ratio of the concentrations of plutonium-239 uranium in ores varies from 4xl0713 to 1.5xlo-ll. to Katz, J.J., Chapter VI, The Chemistry of Actinide Elements, Methuen and Co., Ltd., London, 1957, pp. 239-330. 3/ Environmental Statement, Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Demonstration Plant, USAEC, WASH-1509, April 1972, p. 149. oy wes wet “ ” ty em . ad we . . .* *s tc PF ge | 1 le totes at, ’ 1 ue . 4