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U.S. Department of Energy
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Derivation of plant-soil relationships for dose assessment on Bikini Atoll. [Radiation dose to returning population]

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7317025· OSTI ID:7317025

A radiological survey of the terrestrial environment of Bikini and Eneu Islands (Bikini Atoll) was conducted in June 1975 to evaluate the potential radiation dose to the returning Bikini population. This report presents measurements of the radionuclide concentration in soil profiles and in dominant species of edible and nonedible indicator plants and describes the use of these data to derive relationships to predict the plant uptake of radionuclides from soil. Soil-plant concentration factors together with leaf-leaf and fruit-leaf concentration ratios for indicator and edible plant species from the same area are calculated to quantitatively assess and compare the uptake of /sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs, and /sup 239/'/sup 240/Pu. In general, the concentration factors for /sup 137/Cs in terrestrial vegetation are greater than those for /sup 90/Sr and the concentration factors for both these nuclides exceed those for /sup 239/'/sup 240/Pu by ten to one hundred-fold. Uptake of /sup 90/Sr and /sup 239/'/sup 240/Pu by fruit is less than that by mature leaves; however, the opposite is true for /sup 137/Cs. The relative contribution of the individual plant species to the internal dose to man varies with the nuclide. The use of concentration factors and concentration ratios to predict nuclide concentrations in fruit from those in soil or leaves is prescribed.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
7317025
Report Number(s):
UCID-17313
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English