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1975 BIKINI SURVEY PROGRAM
Bikini Soil and Gamma Exposure Rate Survey Program
Purpose:

Soil Survey

The soil sampling program is designed to identify the primary radionuclides contributing to the external gamma exposure and to determine the
geographical distribution of these radionuclides in the soil on Bikini and
Enev Islands of the Bikini Atoll. Every possible effort will be made to

integrate this sampling program with previous programs to avoid undue
duplication of effort. The actual number of samples and their specific
collection sites will be a function of (1) the expected activity levels,
(2) future home-construction plans, (3) future agricultural plans, and
(4) the number and lecations of recent soil samples collected by other
progrems.

Methods and Measurements

Two types of soil samples will be collected for analysis: (1) a
15-~cm-deep surface core sample of 60 em’ area, and (2) a profile collec-

tion based upon sidewall sampling in a trench in which samples of 100 cm

area are collected at 15~cm depth increments to a total depth of 90 cm.
For purposes of planning the survey, Bikini Island may be divided into
the north, central, and south sections along the respective second baseline roads. Eneu may be divided into the north and south sections divided
by the airstr *. The approximate numbers of surface and profile samples
to be collected within these sections are shown in Table 1. Note that a

ical fared aes taal

major fraction of the surface samples will be collected within the central section of Bikini Island. This is due to the relatively higher and

more variable gamma exposure rates in this area and to the fact that a
maior fraction of the retuming Bikinians will most likely reside within

this section. Only a few profile samples are planned in this .area because several samples have already been collected during previous surveys.

The north and south sections of Bikini Island and all of Eneu exhibit

relatively lower cortarination levels; hence, the sampling density is
lower. Special emphasis, however, will be given to the lagoon side of

both islands since future homes may be erected in these areas.
Table 1.

Number of soil sample locations on each island.
No. of Sample Locations
Surface
(0-15 cn)

Bikini

North of second Baseline N

.

25

Central Section
South of second Baseline §

5002510

200
25

.

.

Profiles
(0-90 cm)

DOE ARCHIVES
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4
2

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