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Summary

1.

During July 1957, chemical separations by ton-exchange

resin columns were made on five grouped plankton samples taken

in and west of the Eniwetok Proving Ground

in September 1956.

Also, radiochemical separations for Sr99-y90 were made.

The

radioactive isotopes in the separated fractions were identi-

fied by decay rates, maximum beta energies and gamma energies.

2.

The distribution pattern of Co°7 and Zn®5

simples

not subjected to

in plankton

ion-exchange separation was deter-

mined by analysis of gamma spectrum curves.
3.

The predominant fission product radioisotopes found were

Zr95-Nb22, Cett4-prl44 ana in one sample, Rul06-Rp106,
Fission products accounted for 22 to 44 per cent of the total

radioactivity at the collection date.
in the

Sr99-y90 was not found

lon-exchange separations nor in fuming nitric acid pre-

cipitations made on duplicate aliquots.

4.

[DOE ARCHIVES

The non-fission radioisotopes Fe55, Co57, Co58, ana zn®5

contributed 55 to 77 per cent of the total radioactivity, and
Co? ana Mn>4 accounted for a total of 0.8 to 1.6 per cent.

5.

Cod? and Co©° were present at Bikini Atoll in a 1:1 ratio

and at

Eniwetok ina

5.3:1 ratio.

These

ratios

were re-

flected in plankton samples collected in the vicinity of the

two atolls.

The ratio of Co57/¢060 in an area 300 miles wide

north to south and 200 to 500 miles west of Eniwetok was

30

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