Coencbita perlatus, from this island.
Collections were made at approxi-
mately daily intervals commencing with the third day following the Nectar
c
test until the ninth day and thereafter at lengthened intervals until
approximately monthly intervals.
years after the test.
Sampling continued until about two
Strontium-89 and -90 were detected in the exoskeletons
and other parts of the crab.
The amount in the exoskeletons remained at
a nearly constant level, excepting nuclear decay.
Levels of activity,
three days after the Nectar test were a high of 5 million d/min-g in the
gut, but at the end of the two years were typically about 10 thousand
d/min-g (Held, 1960).
.
|
The first large-scale land-based study of residual radioactivity was"
in 1964 by the Laboratory of Radiation Biology of the University of
Wdsuingion.
The study was &t Caiwetok, Bikiai, dad Rougelap Atolls.
This was eight years after the last test in this area of the world, and
so allowed observation of long-term effects of nuclear detonations
(Welander et al, 1966).
Hundreds of specimens of a broad range of
organisms were collected for radioanalyses and later evaluation at the
University.
External radioactivity was measured by beta-gamma survey meters at
three feet above ground level.
Following are some of the observations:
External Radiation in mR/hr -
Island
Runic (Yvonne)
Rigili (Leroy)
Bogombogo (Belle)
Engebi (Janet)
Average
.,
Maximum
0.13
0.04
9.80
1.0 (Near craters at north)
0.23
0.22
0.70
22