POTASSIN™M AND CESIUM-137 IN BIRQUS LATRO (COCONUT CRAB
MUSCLE COLLECTED AT RONCZELAP ATOLL
INTRODUCTION
Rengelap ‘201! was contaminated with radioactive faiteui reseiitag
from the Bravo ieat on March i.
1¢64,
to me exten! thal \* wad asces
sary we evacuate the pepulaetioa of 632 Roageiapese
Some 369 Marsha!-
te@e returned te Reagelap in June 1887 after the area hed Beam daeciered
safe jor narean hebitation
Siace i854. there have been several serveyse
te determine Me iev>' of radioactive comtam ination of the biets af
Rengelep Atoll (Dunniag, 1957). ln Mereh 1958. 0 lomg-term etedy of
the eosingy of the atoll. relaétve to radioeetive contamination, wae iaitiated at ine request of the U
§. Awmte Energy Commiesion, Divistos
ef Bictegy and Medicine
Tre Gejectiw of «3 Investigation wes to determine the radtoces lus
and stable potassium content im tee men. of Biry.s latro (coconut crab)
and tO evalusio the relationship detweea the ‘wo, ‘J any, under the
ex-
isting eoaditione at Rongeisp Alelt
Birgae latro, the coconut crsh, is ef particular interest becasse it
is edtble and is a lend crab known to cciutain cesium-1}37 ia ite musete
tigeue
«Casium-!37 te also the principal leag-lived (27 years half iife)
ftseicn product found in plants om coataminated isiands in the
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Marshall
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