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Radioiodine Leyels'in the U. S. Public Health Service Pasteurized Mili
Network from 1963 to 1968 and their Reletionship to Possible Sources

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Lester Machta and Kosta Telegadas
Environmental Seience Services Administration

Silver Spring, Md. 20910
Abstract.

Meteorological analysis of the paths of nuclear clouds has been

used to assign the source of radioiodine in the milk samples collected in

the U. S. Public Health Service Pasteurized Milk Network (PMN).

Most of

the instances of elevated values between April 1963 and December 1968 are
attributed to six atmospheric nuclear explosions in western China.

Only

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one of five cratering events at the Nevada Test Site caused elevated values
in the PMN milk.

Two periods with relatively low concentrations of radio-

iodine in milk possess no apparent explanation.

By selecting periods with

no atmospheric or cratering events, it is argued that at most small amounts
of radioiodine in the PMN can be attributed to accidental releases from

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underground nuclear tests in tne United States during the period of

f

analysis.

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Radiolodine from accidental releases, reactor tests, and cratering

events has beendetected in a local raw milk network surrounding the
Nevada Test Site.

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