in favor of nitric acid. Hydrochloric acid gas was then passed for 15 - 29 minutes in an ice-cold solution of the ahove sample and iron was removed by ether extraction. The iron-free solution was evaporated and dissolved in 8N HNO,. The maiority of the samples were clear at this stage, but when turbidity persisted, HF, HNOz process was repeated. 2 mi 5% NaNO, solution was added to the hot 8N HNO, solu- tion of the sample and after cooling was passed thru 5 ml Agix-8, (190 - 200) mesh, NOz form anion exchange column. After washing the column with 8N HNO, and Con-HCl respectively, Pu was eluted from the column with a mixture of 75 ml Com-HCl + 1 ml HI. The eluate, after repeated evapor- ation with HNO, and HC], was passed thru another 2 ml column of anion exchange resin and then plated on a polished stainless steel disc at a current density of 1 amp /cmé, The plutonium sample was deposited on 190 mm area and counted*on an alpha-spectrometer system (the spectrometer consisting of four diode detectors of 200 mm2 surface area). The electronic system consisted of Tennelec power supply (TC 908), a pre-amp (TC 164), a linear ampli- fier (TC 211), hiased amplifier (TC 252), Nuclear Diode discriminator (ND S31), Nuclear Diode router (NP 521) and a Nuclear Data 512 channel analyzer (Series #139). The hackgrowund levels, hased on 3 - 6 day counts, were as follows: at 4.90 mev (Pu242) (a.AnS5 - 1.0034 cpm): at 5.15 mev (PuZ39*24My (mH - .9N34 cpm); at $.49 mev (Pu238) (N.000 - 20855928 .0905 cpm). Resolution of the detectors was ahout 65 -