GROSS BETA RADIOACTIVITY OF THE ALGAE AT ENIWETOK ATOLL,
1954-1956
INTRODUCTION
Since the Operation Crossroads tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946,
Laboratory of Radiation Biology,
University of Washington,
the
has been
investigating the effects of radiations released by nuclear detonations
upon living organisms.
The amounts of radioactivity detected in aquatic
and terrestrial organisms and the effects of the
(1
these organisms were studied in 1946,
and 1952! 5) .
nuclear detonations on
19477), igaa3),
(4)
i944),
These studies took place either shortly after a detonation
or at a later date, often as much as a year or more after a nuclear test.
Thus,
there were gaps in the knowledge of the interim periods.
quently,
Conse-
a series of investigations was initiated by this Laboratory,
in
which a year's continuous study was made of the effects of nuclear detonations on biological organisms.
This study was done in conjunction
with the 1954 weapons tests at the Eniwetok Test Site.
The results of
the investigations on the following organisms have already been reported:
reef fish’ 12)
land crabs‘ 2) ,
and invertebrates 2).
The study of the marine algae constituted an integral part of this
program.
The main objectives were to determine the rate of decline of
radioactivity of several genera of algae and to determine whether these