-20-
Table 5 shows that at Rongelap Atoll sb!25 has been present in the
soil since March 26, 1954, and it can be assumed that it was produced
in the March 1,
1954 test
at
Bikini
soil sample from Eniwetok Atoll,
Atoll.
Sb 125
also was found ina
but the date of its formation is not
known.
Radioactive antimony has not been found in living organisms
although the stable element has been reported in minute amounts in
non-planktonic algae, fish, and tunicates, as wellas in sea water. 20
There is no information known to the present authors regarding the
health hazards of radioactive antimony,
154
(Eu'“").
but there is for europium
Calculations based on equations given in the National Bureau
of Standards Handbook 52
8
for determining maximum permissible con-
centrations (MPC) showed thatthe level of Eu!
55
in the soil was many
times lower than the amount which could be considered a health hazard.
Traces of Co 57 were detected in the sample,
interference of Ce
to evaluate.
144_ 5.144
but because of
the amount of Co?” present was difficult
Other data from this Laboratory, however,
the ratio of Co
the
showed that
60 to Co 57 at Rongelap Atoll was about 1:1 at the time
of analysis.
SUMMARY
1.
Using ion-exchange techniques a radiochemical analysis was made
of a soil sample collected from the top inch of a bird nesting area at