—ionPehae vader eee. e aired tending to make up the bulk of the fixed contaxinations The plant utale over 8 Long period of tina ney be considerable since ts root syster3 on the folends ere ‘uniformly aiotributed throughout the top 1 in. of the teland profiles and are extreaelydense. ‘Very few roots were found b2low vh in. and those that vere noted appear to be carrying larce onsunts of water frou the fresh vater lens to tha nuther plante The lerge asousis of activity found in the plant syste:s negatea any possibility that direct fall-out could be solely responsible for the contasination. The rature of 2 contarination in the plants shove that although catpl aoe pulOny105 ere firmly fixed In the 60il they are readily available to the plunt systers. 2.2.4 Coral, Lagoon Bottoa S1lt and Alcze “The extent of contasination in the atoll waters edjacent to the islands vag evaluated fron samples of coral, silt and algee, Tuccrous “edible raring species exist inthia area and thetr food chein is deperdeat prirarily on the algae eod coral. The gross beta ectivities in coral ena elges ere given tn Table2.6. ~ Alge9 appear to concentrate activity to a ouch grester Gerre? thin coral. Nuch of the coral activity may even de dus to elgas which is lolged in excll pores vhere it cansot be renoved. The ceacveuzber end green alcne arg mich more efficient at concentrating activitty than is the hivily calcareous Halfreda, Four sanpleg of lagoon bottes silt fros the portheast ecrner of Rongelap Atoll gave B"/nin/g values ranging froa 8,000 to 12,000, Activity waa uniformly distributed to a depth of 6 to 7 in. 55, & and 120 ft, _ gr 6083” Tt at: - Lagoon depihs vere 10, u EC