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

_

Select target paragraph3