Document Details
Title:
ATOLL SOIL TYPES IN RELATION TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF FALLOUT RADIONUCLIDES
Author(s):
HELD, E E [UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE]; GESSEL, S P [UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE]; WALKER, R B [UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE]
Subject Terms:
COBALT 60; DEPTH DOSE DISTRIBUTIONS; DATA; STRONTIUM 90; SAMPLING; CESIUM 137; ANTIMONY 125; SOILS; HARDTACK I OPERATION; GAMMA SPECTRA; EUROPIUM 155; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; REDWING PROJECT; MANGANESE 54; BRAVO EVENT; PHOTOGRAPHS; PRASEODYMIUM 144; CASTLE OPERATION; ZINC 65; PROCEDURES; CERIUM 144; AUTORADIOGRAPHY
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:
REPORT
Publication Date:
1965 Aug 31
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0046
Accession Number:
NV0067529
Document Number(s):
UWFL92
Originating Research Org.:
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, SEATTLE
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 26
OpenNet Modified Date:
2003 Sep 18
Description/Abstract:
THE REDISTRIBUTION OF RADIONUCLIDES IN ATOLL SOILS FOLLOWING FALLOUT F ROM A NUCLEAR DEVICE IS DESCRIBED. THE SOILS ARE CALCAREOUS, CONTAININ G NO INORGANIC COLLOIDS, AND THEIR EXCHANGE CAPACITY IS DIRECTLY RELAT ED TO ORGANIC CONTENT. COMPARISON OF GAMMA-RAY SPECTRA OF DEPTH INCREM ENTS FROM YOUNG AND OLD SOILS SHOWS THAT CESIUM-137 AND ANTIMONY-125 M OVE MOST READILY IN OLD SOIL, WHILE THE PRINCIPAL GAMMA-EMITTING RADIO NUCLIDE MOVING IN YOUNG SOIL IS ANTIMONY-125. STRONTIUM-90 MOVES IN BO TH OLD AND NEW SOILS, AND QUANTITATIVE DIFFERENCES IN VERTICAL MOVEMEN T BETWEEN SOIL TYPES IS OBSCURED BY THE HIGHLY VARIABLE SURFACE DISTRI BUTION OF THE RADIONUCLIDES. THER IS A VERTICAL GRADIENT IN THE DISTRI BUTION OF RADIONUCLIDES EVEN WITHIN THE SURFACE INCH. LITTER REDEPOSIT S CESIUM-137 AND STRONTIUM-90 AT THE SOIL SURFACE AND BIRD DROPPINGS H AVE ADDED ZINC-65 AND COBALT-60. IN YOUNG SOILS THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF RADIOACTIVITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SOIL ALGAE FOUND AS A SURFACE CRUST IN UNDISTURBED AREAS AND IN CORAL FRAGMENTS IN ERODED AREAS. HORIZONTA L MOVEMENT IS LOCALIZED AND PROBABLY IS OF LITTLE OVERALL IMPORTANCE. BURIED ORGANIC HORIZONS CONTAIN MORE CESIUM-137 THAN ADJACENT SOIL LAY ERS, AND ROOTS ARE GENERALLY MORE RADIOACTIVE THAN THE SURROUNDING SOI L EXCEPT AT THE SOIL SURFACE. PUMICE PARTICLES IN THE SOIL ADSORB RADI ONUCLIDES BUT PUMICE IS FOUND INFREQUENTLY. MECHANICAL MIXING BY ANIMA LS IN OLD SOILS AND BY EROSION IN YOUNG SOILS IS IMPORTANT IN THE REDI STRIBUTION OF RADIONUCLIDES NEAR THE SOIL SURFACE. CESIUM-137 AND STRO NTIUM-90 ARE THE PRINCIPAL RADIONUCLIDES ENTERING A CYCLE WITHIN THE S OIL-PLANT SYSTEM. ANY LOSS FROM THIS SYSTEM APPEARS TO BE SAMLL, BUT A DEFINITE CONCLUSION CAN NOT BE DRAWN FROM THE DATA.