Urinary excretion of radionuclides @ P. S. Harris ET AL. 229 Table Al. Summary of analytical methods used for radionuclide assays of urine from Marshallese (adapted from ****), Source of data LASL (he Tay Radionuclide BI Year of collection 1954 Chemical separation method (where applicable) None Counting method Comments on measurement methods Gammacounting with SAC counter (see text). LASL (eeTe) By 1954 Urine aliquots evaporated to dryness after adjusting pH to Total beta activity counting and decay rate measurements (8-d half-life) to Extraction/isolation method (not specified). Counting instruments not specified. Total beta activity counting and decay rate Measurementto 8-9 Method used for limited data sets on 100 mL urine aliquots Dry or wet ashed urine of 100 mL urine aliquots (no chemical separation Sr confirm '*'T. confirm }°'1. Correction for self absorption/or use of calibration standard were not mentioned. moderate uncertainty Satisfactory, with moderate uncertainty Other beta emitters will interfere. Yield for extraction was thought to be about 60% ofall isotopes, SIT had the most significant activity in urine. Total nonvolatile beta activity and decay rate Measurements (55 d) to confirm Sr. It was predominant isotope after the decay of Data quality Satisfactory, with low to Only satisfactory within an order of magnitude due to uncertain chemical yield Sr/**Sr ratio of 0.1 is assumed. Other beta emitters ('°’Cs) will interfere. Satisfactory, with moderate uncertainty 1317 Extraction/isolation method (not specified) Total beta activity and decay rate measurementto Chemical yield uncertain due to high variability. High degree of uncertainty ®Ca Extraction/isolation method (not specified) Extraction/isolation method (not Data corrected for self absorption and decay. Other beta emitter can interfere. Uncorrected for self absorption. Levels of High degree of uncertainty Ru(likely '°Ru) Total beta activity counting, instruments not specified. Total beta activity counting, specified) confirm *Sr. instruments not specified. Plutonium Walter Reed (Woodward et al. 1959) ICs 1954 1954-1957 1958 S) 1954-1958 Alpha counting None known. Precipitation on nickel ferrocyanide from urine made strongly alkaline No chemical separation NaI well counter with 20 channel gamma spectrometer to count precipitate. Precipitation as carbonate, °°Y was separated and identified Precipitation counted using thin-window gas flow counter. by its half-life Urine counted directly on 8X4 cm NaI crystal. Unreliable ‘Ru in urine are expected to be low due to poor absorption in humans (likely introducing large error in measurements). Lack of required sensitivity and non-specific to plutonium. Spectral analysis calibrated with standard source Reported measurement error of + 5% Large sample volume (2.5 L) Gamma-ray spectral analysis Specific separation for St Data corrected for decay to time of collection Low to moderate degree of uncertainty Unreliable Satisfactory, reliable set of data Satisfactory, reliable set of data Satisfactory, reliable set of data (Continued)