The canning process involved packing the can with soil as discussed above;
sealing; weighing; and labeling the can with a log number that had the year and
ote shalt PRO22 ite
cataoan ltaeae
month the sample was taken, depth increment, a code for whether radioactive or
stable element analysis was to be done,
sequence
number.
spectrometry.
After
canning,
the
island and atoll designations,
sample
was
sent for
analysis
by
and
a
gamma
When gamma counting was completed, the sample in the can was sent
to a contract laboratory for wet chemistry.
Blind duplicates and standards were
included with each group of samples sent for analysis.
A complete report on the
quality control program using blind duplicates and standards will be a part of
this
series
of
reports.
The
qudlity
control
program
was
conducted
independently by Dr. C. D. Jennings of the Western Oregon State College.
Vegetation Samples
Most vegetation samples were a composite of one or more individual fruits.
A coconut sample consisted of five coconuts.
juice.
They were dissected into meat and
A papaya sample consisted of 20 papayas that were dissected into meat,
skin, and seeds.
A Pandanus sample consisted of two Pandanus
fruits;
the keys
of the Pandanus were extracted and the juice was squeezed from them.
The ends
of the Pandanus keys were also kept for analysis.
A breadfruit sample consisted
of 5 breadfruit,
of bananas,
a banana sample was
3
bunches
a
squash
sample
consisted of 1 squash fruit, and there were about 20 Morinda fruit to a sample.
The breadfruit, banana, squash, and Morinda fruits were dissected into meat and
skin.
The Tacca and taro root samples consisted of five tubers.
dissected
into
meat
and
skin.
The
leaves
of
the
They were also
Messerschmedia,
Scaevola,
breadfruit, and Pisonia trees were cut into small segments.
To
ensure
no
cross
contamination
with
the
soil
samples,
processing and canning was conducted in a different laboratory.
the
fruit
Between January
and September 1979, 961 vegetation samples were processed.
The vegetation samples were received frozen and maintained frozen at LLNL
until processed.
They were in large plastic bags wrapped with tape with a field
log number and location indicated on the bag.
recorded
in the
sample
log books.
The information on the sample was
They were
processed
by
atoll,
island,
and
fruit type.
Before the plant samples were dissected,
very carefully to remove
dissected
into
any adherent
different
segments
soil
(i.e.,
11
the
fruits and roots were washed
particles.
meat,
The
skin,
plant
and
samples were
seeds).
These