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.

Select target paragraph3