A study of totel &
activity and racicstrontium in rain water
was undertaken at HASL during the spring of 1956.
At that time a survey
of atmospheric aerosols and the elemental constituents of rainfall was
being conducted by the Cloud Physics section cf th. .ir forec tameridce
Research Center.
The samples from the network of stations were analyzed
by a contractor, Skinner and Sherman, of Boston, Massachusetts.
HASL
received a part of the total month's sample from each site, if there was
sufficient sample for both laboratories to run analyses.
Sampling covered the period from March through July 1956 for 61
stations within the continental United States, Bermuda, Newfoundland, and
the Azores,
The criginal purpose of the study at HASL was to correlate
the amount of fallout in rainfall with the estimate of total fallout from
gummed film measurements»
PROCEDURES
Collection,
The rain collection devices consisted of one-liter
polyethylene bottles equipped with wide-mouthed funnels that presented a
surface area of 0,56 square fect to the atmosphere.
was
The whole assembly
enclosed in a wooden container designed to be opened manually during
rain and closed at other times.
Figure 1 is a photograph of this apparatus
as it was used in the fiela,??
Analysis:
JVihen each sample was received at HASL the volume was
measured enc the sclutien acidified.*? Then the sample was evaporated
to a small voluce, transferred tc a glass planchst and dried for beta
e
eountin:.
This residue was fuse. with sodium certcrate and the strontium
4
—%
>=
on he ee
a
:
~
-~
Net,
-
wate
woe
a
RRA
se
Dae BSN SR oe
.
.=
=
Lo
SE
-
7;
wee
Ee TS
gy eee
ay Ta Se
eg tee
.
a CURPP EE
TET ne
Ta
oe ee
,
=
~
SS
x
sy] 8
.
™~
.
a
Ss
~
= *\u *
SS
oo
PRE
eee
.
ue
a" sey
ARS
=
Sa
mM
se
Se
_