Nuclear test fallout signatures in sediments on the Brazilian coast

The aim of this review is to take a look at Cold War era nuclear tests signatures found in Brazilian coastal sediments. Both ¹³⁷Cs and ^240+239Pu signatures have been documented in mangrove, coastal mudflats and continental shelf sediments, associated with above ground nuclear tests beginning in the 1950's. The dates associated to the anthropogenic radionuclide signatures ¹³⁷Cs and ^240+239Pu along sediment columns are confirmed by ²¹⁰Pb geochronology in many of the studies highlighted in this review. The results outlined in this review characterize the extent to which nuclear fallout products reach the Brazilian coast in quantities sufficient for detection, allowing the use of these radioisotopes as geochronometers.