~~

1297, 155£u, and 137ce were ¥SEY close to the hypothetical ratios

ratios for
r fission of
estimated for thermonuclea

U.

8. Estimation of Radioiodine Activity per Unit Area Based on Soil
Activity for 1297, From the archival measurements, the iodine isotope activity

was estimated per unit area of soil at the cessation of fallout at Rongelap (see
Table,8). The enrichment of the iodine isotopes was assumed to be the same as
for

.

The total radioiodine soil activity per unit area, based on 129 content of archival soils from Rongelap, exceeded the estimated total activity of
all radionuclides per unit area by a factor of 10. The estimated total activity
was based on four soil samples taken and measured for beta activity on March 8,
1954 (O0C68). The radioiodine soil activity per unit area, based on archival
soils from Utirik, exceeded the estimated total soil activity per unit area by
a factor of 7. Because these archival soil based estimates were so much greater
than measured activity, the assumption could not be made that iodine isotopes
mimicked the behavior of } Sy, and thus the usefulness of archival soil measure-

ments was limited.

The level of 129 in archival soil may be real, an artifact of the

neutron activation technique, or the residue from other weapons tests occurring

near the time of soil collection. Comparison of Bikini ash results to hypothetical results foxy 1297 (Table 7, column D/E) leads one to believe that some
enrichment of
'49T occurred but not to the extent indicated by our extrapolation

of archival soil measurements (Table 7, column B/E).

The level of activity of

I in Bikini ash was based on direct measurements of !29Te and 1321 (1856).

Table 8
Activity of Iodine Isotopes Based on Archival Soil Results

Activity per Unit
Iodine

Area at Rongelap
at 0.5 Day,

1297
aa

1.4x1074
1 «9x10?

1331
1347

2.0x10
2.0x104

Isotope

I

135;

Total

Activity per Unit
Area at Utirik
at 1.5 Days,

uci m728

5 .8x10

uci m+4

.

2.5x106

5.3x10°

@Multiply by 3.7 x 104 to obtainBq m2.

- 18 -

a

9.0x1075
9.2x10?

a

4.9x104
5.2x1076

.

2.5x10

9.8x103

9.3x104

ov

vO

- ; - .

-

Select target paragraph3