Document Details
Title:
LETTER TO E AHLSTROM, SUBJECT: ABSTRACT FOR ASLO SYMPOSIUM
Author(s):
Subject Terms:
MEETINGS; FALLOUT; MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRAT; STRONTIUM 90; ANTIMONY 125; CESIUM 137; EUROPIUM 155; WATER; ISOTOPE RATIO; MANGANESE 54; COBALT 57; COBALT 60; ZINC 65; ZIRCONIUM 95; RUTHENIUM 106; CERIUM 144
Addressee:
AHLSTROM E
Document Location:
Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV
Document Type:
CORRESPONDENCE, LETTERS, MEMOS
Publication Date:
1961 May 17
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0002
Accession Number:
NV0050817
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 26
OpenNet Modified Date:
2003 Sep 18
Description/Abstract:
THE QUALITATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF RADIONUCLIDES AT RONGELAP ATOLL AS DET ERMINED APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS AFTER CONTAMINATION BY FALLOUT FROM A THERMONUCLEAR DEVICE INDICATES DISTINCT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TERRE STRIAL AND MARINE ENVIRONMENTS. THE LEVELS OF ACTIVITY BEING DEALT WI TH ARE LOW, FALLING WITHIN THE MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE CONCENTRATIONS FORM AN. OF THE WIDE SPECTRUM OF RADIONUCLIDES CONCENTRATED IN THE SURFACE LAYERS OF THE SOIL, STRONTIUM-90, ANTIMONY-125 AND CESIUM-137 ARE THE PRINCIAPL ISOTOPES ENTERING INTO THE SOIL SOLUTION. THE LAND PLANTS CONTAIN MAINLY CESIUM-137 AND LESSER AMOUNTS OF STRONTIUM-90; THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE LAND CRABS AND THE INDIGENOUS RATS. BOTTOM SEDIMENT S CONTAIN MAILY STRONTIUM-90 AND EUROPIUM-155. THE RADIONUCLIDES IN T HE LAGOON WATER HAVE NOT BEEN DETECTED BUT ARE PROBABLY PRESENT IN MIN UTE AMOUNTS. PLANKTONIC ORGANISMS CONTAIN TRACES OF MANGANESE-54, COB ALT-57, COBALT-60, ZINC-65, ZIRCONIUM-95, RUTHENIUM-106, AND CESIUM-14 4. THE PRINCIAPL ISOTOPE FOUND IN THE MARINE ALGAE IS CESIUM-144. IN THE MARINE INVERTEBRATES COBALT-60 AND ZINC-65 MOST COMMONLY OCCUR. CORALS AND CORALINE ALGAE CONTAIN STRONTIUM-90 AND WHILE THE AMOUNT I S SMALL ON A UNIT WEIGHT BASIS, ULTIMATE CALCULATIONS OF THE TOTAL AMO UNT OF STRONTIUM-90 IN THE LAGOON CAN BE EXPECTED TO BE LARGE. THE FI SH ARE FOUND TO CONTAIN MOSTLY ZINC-65 AS DO THE SEA BIRDS. MAN REFLE CTS BOTH THE TERRESTRIAL AND MARINE SOURCES OF HIS FOOD IN THAT HE CON TAINS ZINC-65, STRONTIUM-90 AND CESIUM-137.