Radiological survey of plants, animals, and soil in micronesia
In 1974 the Laboratory of Radiation Ecology began a program to determine the radionuclides found in foods, plants, animals, and soils of the Central Pacific. As part of this program the present study was undertaken to determine radionuclides found in the common foods and soils in areas of Micronesia other than those areas receiving local fallout from the test sites at Bikini or Enewetak atolls. Areas sampled in 1975 were Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Islands, Truk and Ponape in the Caroline Islands, Guam in the Marianas Islands, and Koror and Babelthaup in the Palau Islands. All samples were analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides while some were also analyzed for /sup 90/Sr of /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu. Results of the analyses indicate that naturally occurring /sup 40/K is the predominant radionuclide in the biological samples. Cesium-137 in amounts less than 1 pCi/g (dry) was the only fallout radionuclide detected in most of the biological samples. Soil samples usually contained /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, /sup 238/U, and /sup 239/Pu, while soil from Truk, Palau, and Ponape also contained isotopes of radium and thorium. Soil from Guam also contained /sup 210/Pb and /sup 235/U in addition to the above radionuclides. Considering only the fallout radionuclides, the values for /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, and /sup 239/ /sup 240/Pu in samples from Guam, Palau, Truk, Ponape, and Majuro are less than the values for these radionuclides in similar samples from atolls such as Utirik, Rongerik, and Ailinginae in the northern Marshall Islands, and are much less than values of these radionuclides in samples from Bikini and Rongelap atolls.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-S-08-0269
- OSTI ID:
- 6384752
- Report Number(s):
- NVO-0269-35; TRN: 79-007169
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BANANAS
RADIOACTIVITY
CESIUM 137
RADIATION MONITORING
COCONUTS
FISHES
FRUITS
PAPAYAS
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
POTASSIUM 40
ROOTS
STRONTIUM 90
LEAD 210
RADIUM 210
RADIUM 226
SOILS
THORIUM 228
THORIUM 232
URANIUM 235
URANIUM 238
COBALT 60
CRUSTACEANS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FALLOUT DEPOSITS
ISOLATED VALUES
MICRONESIA
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARTHROPODS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
DATA
DATA FORMS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FALLOUT
FOOD
HEAVY NUCLEI
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
INVERTEBRATES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEAD ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MONITORING
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEANIA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
POTASSIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
RADIUM ISOTOPES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
THORIUM ISOTOPES
URANIUM ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510301* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Soil- (-1987)
510302 - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
520302 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
560173 - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)
560172 - Radiation Effects- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology- Animals- (-1987)