The 0.5- to 1-kg soil samples were dried to a constant weight and ball milled
continuously for 48h to produce homogeneous samples. After ball milling, fractions of
the finely ground soil samples were packed in aluminum cans for analysis by gamma
spectrometry. When gamma counting was completed, the sample in the can was sent to a
contract laboratory for analysis requiring radiochemical separations. 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
quality
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. They were dissected into meat and juice.
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, a banana sample
was 3 bunches of bananas, a squash sample consisted of | 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. They were also dissected into meat and skin.
The leaves of the Messerschmedia,
Scaevola, breadfruit, and Pisonia trees were cut into small segments.
To ensure no cross contamination with the soil samples, the fruit processing and
canning was conducted in a different laboratory. Between January and October 1979, 961
vegetation samples were processed.
The vegetation samples were received frozen and maintained frozen at LLNL until
processed.
Before the
samples were dissected, the fruits and roots were washed very
carefully to remove any adherent soil particles.
The plant samples were dissected into
different segments (i.e., meat, skin, and seeds) and the wet weights were determined.
The samples were subsequently
freeze-dried
to
remove
the
water
from
the
vegetation. Each day ice was removed from the condenser and when ice ceased to form
on the condenser, the samples were considered dried.