SOILS ELEMENT HISTORY, SAMPLING, ANALYSES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS E. B. Fowler and E. H. Essington Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory INTRODUCTION The Soils Element of the Nevada Applied Ecology Group (NAEG) had its beginnings in 1970. The Soils Element contributed to the objectives of NAEG in such areas as soil sampling, processing, radiochemical analysis, referee, and special interpretive aspects regarding the distributions of plutonium and other radionuclides at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Since the inception of NAEG, with the exception of the sampling and sample preparation experimental techniques used in the small microplot experimental area, and the recent soil mound study, sampling and sample preparation techniques have remained the same for all of the safety-shot study areas. The original missions were developed by various committees to meet their specific needs and hence were discipline oriented. In the absence of detailed guidance from the literature, missions were developed largely by intuition. The mission of the Soils Element (initially Soil Sampling and Analyses Committee) simply stated was "to develop methods for sampling and analyses of soils for the determination of plutonium content." Results were to be used in the calculation of an inventory characteristic of the study site. Discussed in this report are the efforts of the Soils Element from the standpoint of (1) history and initial charges relative to soil sampling and analyses, (2) development of sampling and analytical procedures, (3) assigned referee activities, (4) special studies relating to particular sampling and analytical problems, and (5) recommendations for new or for completing past areas of soils study. HISTORY A chronology of past activities is presented as background to an understanding of the present status of the Soils Element studies. 17