_~ eluninim plenchcts for counting. Coral and algae sexples were dried overe nicht at 110°C, ashed for ob be at 500%, pulverized end nounted in elucinus plnnchetse a _— Ly After rountingy the sapien ve vere ‘eounted vith a ‘qo-flow proportional counter at 26 per cent geometry as deterained with: av303¢stanisrd or with a 1.9 ne/sq cn, end-window, Celi tube and Muclear Instruments scaicr at 14 per cent ceomtry es deterninadwith a U.3a stendard, | Absorption,ord seattering corrections were deternined expirteally wy counting varying weights of individual sacples and extrapolating the opecitie activities to zero sanple weight. Absorption curves: on aul capes showedpegitgibte srounte of KO betes es compared to the gross coutanination. 202 . : - Results and Discussion 2.2.1 Vajcr Foxls te The cross beta activities found in the najor tood itens are succurized in Table 2.1 The data are presented on the woods of vetveicht of sacple. The prevalence of soft beta eateston tnpany ofthe ‘food ssezples necessitates rather large corrections for self-absorption batno siguficant errors are introduced through the correction procedures — ee A m=ober of cocomt samples vere collected because of thet icportance es e food sourc2. Three staces of crovth are representcds young eveen coconuts the rilx of which 4a drunk, copra stece nuts prized for focd, and sprouting coconuts which ylelé highly palateble reate In gensral, the activity cs7onrs to be higher in the nore rature coconuts. Wids variation in levels evoug sicples froa the sams ielend can probebly be aécounted for in terns o? the ave 19 y nut, ase of the tree, hung content and FS of the soil in vneehe60S? biows end a rumber of lesser ‘feportant factors such ae