Radionuclide concentrations in the drinking water of Bikini cisterns,
pci/liter in June 1975.
Table 1.
Building that the
cistern collects from
1376.
90...
239,240),
24
2.5
1.8
L.l
1.9
7.9 x 107?
13.7 x 107°
School
1.7
1.4
29.0 x 107°
5
drained from the windward roof of
each building.
Ground water has also
contained 0.6 + 0.2 fCi/liter of
239,240... and 0.09 + 0.04 pCi/liter
been used for drinking in periods of
of 13766.
drought and will be used in the
rain-water supply collected at
future whenever cistern water is
Kwajalein Atoll and is therefore
unavailable.
indicative of fallout concentrations
The ground water is
This water came from the
presently in high demand for agricul-
in Marshall Island rainfall.
The
ture on Bikini Island.
239,240), and 13766 concentrations
Three of the cisterns were first
in Marshall Island rainfall are then
sampled in June 1975 and analyzed for
approximately 1/20 of the concentra-
Iles, 29g, and plutonium radio-
tions in the Bikini cisterns.
nuclides.
therefore conclude that the Bikini
The results are abstracted
in Table 1?
From an examination of
We
cistern water contains levels of
the fallout in rainfall at other
plutonium radionuclides that, while
Pacific islands over the period 1968
small, are nevertheless significantly
to 1974, it was concluded that the
906, and, by analogy,
Seg and
elevated above the levels expected
from worldwide fallout.,
The higher
239,240), concentrations in the
concentrations could originate from
cistern water did not result solely
leaching of the concrete cisterns
from worldwide Fallout.” Instead, the
(the concrete used for the cistern
cisterns appear to have contained
construction was locally derived) or,
locally derived levels of radio-
alternatively, from labeled particles
nuclides.
being resuspended in air, accumu~
In support of this conten-
tion, two water samples collected by
lating on the drainage surface of the
one of the authors (V.N.) in October
roofs,
1975 from the drinking water tanks
cisterns with the next rain.
on the ERDA-supported Marshall Island
latter mechanism is correct,
research vessel, the R. V. Liktanur,
suspension processes contribute
Wea 5010221
then being washed into the
If the
re-