Bioenvironmental studies, Amchitka, Island, Alaska, 1975 task force report
Bioenvironmental studies at Amchitka Island, Alaska, have been sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission-Nevada Operations Office (now U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration-Nevada Operations office) since 1967 when the Island was selected as the site for two underground nuclear weapons tests, Milrow in October 1969, and Cannikin in November 1971. This report presents the findings of a field survey on Amchitka during the period of 8 August through September 9, 1975. A background radiation survey conducted on the Island revealed that levels of radioactivity on Amchitka remain comparable to levels in other areas of the United States. Samples of plants, animals, soil and water were also collected for radiometric analyses in the home laboratory. Results of the tritium analyses of the water samples (excepting those from the Long Shot area) indicated that $sup 3$H values are what would be expected at an island station at a similar latitude in the northern hemisphere. The Long Shot mud pits and their drainage system remain contaminated with $sup 3$H. The $sup 3$H concentration is less than in the rainfall at Vienna, Austria, in 1963. Results of the other radiometric analyses will be reported later. The spawning run of pink salmon was surveyed in 20 streams. The 16 to 19 salmon counted in 1975 was greater than the 5 counted in the brood year, 1973, but was still appreciably lower than the 100 fish estimated for 1971. The disturbed areas reseeded in 1973 with Boreal creeping red fescue, high-light chewings fescue, Bering hairgrass, and annual ryegrass exhibited good growth of the fescue and hairgrass emerging through a dense mulch of dead ryegrass stems and leaves from the first two seasons of growth. The fungus discovered growing in some of the reseeded areas in 1974 was identified as Corticium fuciforme. The fungus was not found on native vegetation adjacent to the plots. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- comp.; Washington Univ., Seattle (USA). Coll. of Fisheries
- NSA Number:
- NSA-33-012006
- OSTI ID:
- 4128034
- Report Number(s):
- NVO--269-26
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Amchitka radiobiological program progress report, January 1975--December 1975
Sea water intrusion model of Amchitka Island, Alaska
Related Subjects
*ANIMALS-- RADIATION MONITORING
*BACKGROUND RADIATION-- RADIATION MONITORING
*CANNIKIN EVENT-- ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
*FUNGI-- RADIATION MONITORING
*MILROW EVENT-- ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
*PLANTS-- RADIATION MONITORING
*SALMON-- RADIATION MONITORING
*SOILS-- RADIATION MONITORING
*TRITIUM-- RADIATION MONITORING
*UNDERGROUND EXPLOSIONS-- ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
*WATER-- RADIATION MONITORING
520300* --Environmental Sciences
Aquatic--Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport
CONTAMINATION
N44300* --Environmental & Earth Sciences--Radioactivity Monitoring & Transport