in Aug ust Gross beta ridioactivity of bottom samples from Rongelap Lagoon, 1958. In Auzust 1458, bovtom sempies were obtained from ten plankton2nd eastern regions of Rongelap collecting Stations in the soutnern Lacoon (Figvre 1). At tne wirst nine stations ahip's personnel of geepert veosch, LIM the," Also") use i row Seao in the deoression in the lower end of the sounding leid to get sinill amounts of sand and other bottom materials that would adaere and coul: be scraned off with a knife. was ‘icuélly repeated more tian once the anchor orou,ht up 3ever:l were a. @acn station. Whica were At station 10 pounas of the vottom so that samples tuken from bota the hinss of the anchor, to have been aS about surface The process level on which was considered the bottom, and from tae flukes estimated by both snin-and laporatory-personnel to have been about two feet below tne surface or the bottom, At Seattle the samoles wera ashed, and coun ted nidio-assayed in methane values rangea of ach. O.47, ay from .951 to n\) flow counters with the results shown in Table 1 and Figure 2. Sample &, «with a geometric mean of .08)3 uc/leg AS:.iag cnanged wet sumplo weight by an average factor of wotleh tneluded tne natural organic matter and the soap. The soap contained 21ash. The liiphese concentriticns of activity occurred at Stations 5 and 6, chor at nerth 4a..¢ west 3tation 1c tne top inci. ov 8c of at ieast or Eninetok Island. The Samples from the an- snowed tiat tne radioactivity was not confined to Of tine botton. mecariail, suggested that st but, penetrated to a deptn f two feet in only silihtiy reduced degree. sv % MM ” | Dom ARCHIVES . cen a ne at