FIELD
THE SHORTER-TERM BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS OF A FALLOUT
210
- Continued
‘Tanue §.-SUNSHINE UNITS OF PLANT, WATER AND SOIL SAMPLES
PLANTS
Sample
Tslane
siuna
Portulaca... .~- cree ree cere
iniaetok
Gejen....
Gin Nok
Rongelap_.
PAPAYR nooo ecernn noone os Rongelap
ani
aan ple,)
--
-
Coconut Hufcons-e-emonon- ject
Rongelap
ok.
Coconut Meat...--.-------- frst
Bhise tok -
Coconut Shell_..-..-------- Eniaetok .
Gejen..
“Goje
atk
i
Me
Covonut
Coconut Leaves
futirik_.
tej
ereetol
Cononuts WholeArrowroot Tuber «---------
S
Arrowroot Leaves and Stalks.
Pandanus Keys...--~
anus Leaves_-_.---.---
fame
Pandanus Air Root. -------- {eeea
REFERENCES
1, 8 H. Coun, RB. W. Rivenanr, J. S. Rosertson,
J. K. Gone, W. L. Miune, W. H. CHAPMAN, and
V. P. Bonn, Internal Radioactive Contamination
of Human Beings Accidentally xposed to Radioactive Fallout Material, USNRDI-TR-86, May
56.
2.6. a Conn, R. W. Rutenant, J. K. Gona, J. 8.
Rosertson, W, L. Miuwe, W. H. CuarmMan and
V.P. Bonn, Nature and Extent of Internal Radioactive Contamination of Human Beings, Plants
and Animals Exposed to Fallout, Project 4.1
Addendum Report WT--936 (1955).
cone)
223
23
240
178
308
338
28
58
200
sa
162
Sr 2 ¢din/sample)
camnjsarapley
enwinSrF
itsey_
8
10000 =: 100
5380 4 106
240 4: 33
104+ 250
2.58 x. 10+
40-12
6140 + 120
22k ;
3404 28
1804 24
40804: 240
,
2!
8 * oe
+ Bt
2
aon
110+ 60
90
16
25 + iBe
85
23
ND
120
140
35
36
170
305)
280
13
E19
Q
420 4:24
28
ne
sap ‘ 7 5
7
450
8
20
x pa
41421
69
197437
iar NDA
195
280+26
163
1140
383
114
7
73416
196 £35
1901960
706
4:
9564500
95
1300-4250
acon a
308 10
86 a1
780: Mo
af
385
a
290 + 44
50
1080.2
340+ 20
e004
215
134
420 4.44
32
43
14004 15
3200 +500
10
46
30
65
23
4
460441
NDA
20 4:33
108-27
PERSISTENCE OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION IN
ANIMALS OF MARSIIALL ISLANDS TWO YEARS AFTER
OPERATION CASTLE
390+ ae
3360-48
3. R. W. Rinewart, 8. H. Coun, J. A. Seruur, W. HH.
Snipman and J. K. Gone, Residual Contamination
of Plants, Animals, Soil and Waterof the Marshall
Islands One Year Following Operation CASTLE
Fallout, USNRDI-454 August (1955).
4. Huwren, H. F., and Bautou, N. E., Fission-Product
Decay Rates, Nucleonies 9, C-1—C-7 (1951).
DISCUSSION
Il. V. Weiss
(Please see discussion on pages 217 to 218.)
By S. H. Conn
U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisca, California
An unique opportunity for study of the
internal radiation hazard associated with the
contamination of a large land mass was afforded
A summary of the residual radioactive contamination at 2 years in the tissues of 85 fish
and marine invertebrates from the various
island lagoons, expressed in terms of gross beta
soil and water were collected for analysis of
concentration of activity per unit. weight of
individual fish and marine invertebrates from
the same area as well as from different geographic locations. Part of this variation may
when several of the Marshall Islands were contaminated by fallout from the muclear detonation of March 1, 1954. Within a month of the
accident, numerous land animals, birds and
marine specimens, as well as samples of plants,
the concentration and distribution of radioactive material. On the hasis of these findings
the initial. hazard to human beings from exposure to internal radiation resulting from the
ingestion and inhalation of radioactive fallout
was estimated.
In order to ascertain the degree of hazard
associated with the residual contamination,
and thus to assess the habitability of the contaminated arcas, resurveys of the Islands were
conducted at 1 and 2 years.
Data on the
physical availability of the contaminant in the
environment and the biological availability in
plant foods has been presented by Dr. Weiss.
In addition, however, knowledge of the biological transport of these radionuclides, especially
Sr ™, through the food chainis required. Tt is
readily apparent that one cannot deduce, from
data on the physical environment alone, what
will be the ultimate deposition in the skeleton
of animals living in this area.
Readily detectable levels of radioactivity in
land and marine animals of the Marshall
Islands contaminated by the 1954 nuclear
detonation were measured in February 1956.
and gamma aciivity is presented in Table 1.
Considerable variation was observed in the
be due to differences in feeding habits, but no
correlation between the level of radioactivity
and the eating habiis of the fish (carnivorous,
herbivorous, omnivorous) could be ascertained.
Other factors such as currents and localized
concentrations of radionuclides mayalso play
a role in determining concentrations of residual
activity in the lagoonfish.
Fish and marine invertebrates caughtin the
northern section of the Rongelap Lagoon had
the same level of beta activity bul twiee the
‘gamma activity of fish from the southern sec-
tion of the lagoon.
This ratio of activity in
marine invertebrates between the north and
south ends of the lagoon was considerably
lower than that observed 1 year following the
detonation.
This finding suggests a redistri-
butionof activity from the higher concentration
originally existing in the northern end of the
lagoon.
The pattern of the 1954 fallout was
such that the activity on the northernmost
islands was tenfold higher than on Rongelap
Island, at. the southern end of the atoll.
The internally deposited activity in the
211