ote
~16-
Discussion
The retention or rejection of a given radioactive element by the organisms in the contaminated area of the ocean
is determined by several factors, many of which also function
in the distribution of naturally occurring elements of the
sea.
The effects of some of these factors are known;
are not.
others
A better understanding of the unknown effects may
be attained by observations on the accumulation of individual
radioactive elements from fallout within the trophic levels
of the contaminated blosphere.
By observing which radioele-
ments are concentrated in the phytoplankton,
the zooplankton,
and the nekton and relating these observations to (a) the
known characteristics of the fallout elements before and
after entry into the sea; (b) the half lives of the radioisotopes,
the amounts produced at detonation,
and
their
distribution with respect to fallout particle size; and
(c)
the known biological factors involved in the uptake and retention of different elements,
the eventual fate of the major
fallout radioisotopes in the sea may be determined.
In the waters of the open Pacific Ocean the naturally
occurring trace elements,
cesium,
zinc,
cobalt,
ruthenium,
manganese,
strontium, and possibly zirconium and cerium,
water are present mainly in solution.
in the
The small amount of
naturally occurring tron occurs in the colloidal and particulate form.
Ali of the above named elements,
however,
‘
rid’
Le
except