ATMOSPHERIC RADIOACTIVITY ALONG THE 80TH MERIDIAN, 1956. Interim Report

Technical Report · Wed May 29 04:00:00 EDT 1957

OSTI ID:4300853

Lockhart, Jr, L B; Baus, R A; Blifford, Jr, I H

Measurements of atmospheric radioactivity and fallout at a number of sites along the 80th meridian (west) are reported for the year 1956. These results were obtained through the combined efforts of the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory and the Meteorological Services of Chile, Peru, and Ecuador with the cooperation of the U. S. Weather Bureau and the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission. Radioactivity levels at the various sites during 1966 are reported for three different collecting systems: air filters, cloth screens, and gummed films. Extremely wide variations in the gross radioactivity of fission products in the air have been noted, with the highest levels occurring in the Northern Hemisphere. The presence of some of the peaks of activity at various localities has been correlated with known atomic explosions. Radiochemical techniques are being developed for the routine analysis of collectione for certain isotopes. Preliminary results of such anslyses of a few filter collections indicate that the air at all of the collecting sites contains a greater proportion of the longer-lived fission products than would be expected in a young fissionproduct conglomerate. (auth)

• Research Organization: Naval Research Lab., Washington, D.C.
• NSA Number: NSA-13-000150
• OSTI ID: 4300853
• Report Number(s): NRL-4965; AD-139007; Project NR-571-000; NR-571-003
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

AIR
ATMOSPHERE
FALLOUT
FILTERS
FISSION PRODUCTS
HEALTH AND SAFETY
MEASURED VALUES
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOCHEMISTRY
SAMPLING
VARIATIONS