N-1l

BROOKHAVEN RESULTS ~ Cesium-137 and Strontium-90

The whole-body counter measures the quantity and the energy of
the gamma ray photons that have been emitted by cesium-137, or other
radionuclides, and that escape from the body. In principle, the
machine is calibrated by measuring the escape of gamma rays from a
phantom which has been loaded with the radionuclides in question.
Obviously, the whole-body counter comes closest to giving a direct

measurement of the body-content.

The Brookhaven
Since the time of
whole-body counts
which the results

Laboratory team has visited Rongelap periodically
resettlement in 1957 in order to perform
for cesium-137, and some other radionuclides, for
are summarized in Tables N.11 #1 and #2. The

actual data are shown in Table 1,

and the annual estimates of body

burden based on curves fitted to the data of Table 1 are shown in
Table 2. These tables have been provided through the courtesy of
Dr. E. T. Lessard.

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