Abstract
Some effects of the biological specificity of zinc on
the distribution of fallout zine~65 in the lagoon of Rongelap
Atoll were studied by means of radiometric and chemical analyses of fish tissues,
Stable zinc,
after chromatographic sepa-
ration from the first series transition elements,
was
determined by a colorimetric method using dithizone.
was determined by gamma spectrometry.
Zinc-65
Pallout radiozinc
apparently became associated with a particulate phase in the
water of the lagoon,
Biological uptake and retention in the
ecological systems of the lagoon prevented its flushing out of
the atoll in the exchange of water between the lagoon and the
ocean.
The ingestion, by heterotrophs, of particulate matter
in the water favored the concentration of radiozince in carnivorous fish.
Eyes were shown to be useful and convenient
ergans for determining the relative accumulation of radiozine
by different fish.