- 58 -

0. 6 percent of the total activity.

Two fish muscle samples collected in

January 1955 were reported in USNRDL-454 (Table 4. 5) to have sr90
levels of 0.2 percent of the total beta activity.

if

The muscle and bone of

terns, which feed on fish, contained no Sr?
In contrast to the strictly marine forms, the coconut crab, which feeds
80

principally on land plants, had Sr ~

" | :

levels of 3 percent in the muscle and

12 percent in the hepato-pancreas or liver, where calcium salts are stored.
The radioisotopes in salts leached from the carapace were found to consist

entirely of Sr99 + y90

The levels relative to total activit y would be expect-

ed to remain constant in the salts of the carapace, to increase in muscle,
as Sr 90 makes up a greater proportion of the total activity with the passage
of time, and to be variable in the liver depending on the physiological state
of each crab with respect to molting.

sr?° levels in the liver would be ex-

pected to be at a peak immediately pre- and post molt.
In the lagoon bottom samples collected in October 1955, 0.7 percent of

the activity was Sr®9.
i 5 F

baOR a

a -_

4 a

Estimates of total radiostrontium content of Rongelap

lagoon are discussedin the soils section.

Radiocesium (Table 14).

Do

The highest Ce!3? levels were found in the land

plants and the coconut crab, 26 percent-100 percent.

Cs!37 in marine algae,

fish muscle and fish-feeding birds was absent or present in only small amounts

(maximum 4. 8 percent).
Radiocerium (Table 14).

The levels for ce!44 were highest in marine

birds and algae, 26 percent-71 percent.

In tuna muscle, however, Ce

accounted for only 0.6 percent of the total activity.

144

There was none in

et UN
Ux:

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