hension-of Long Range Contamination of JaBen od its
er:
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Japénene apprehensions over the posibilsty of long range
radiologigel. contamination were very siatler to those wo an~
countered in the United States as a result of NPG operations,
A difference in Japnn is due to the fact thet none, {f any, of
the counting equipment is calibrated, Gi tubes cra used without shiclds,
and under conditions where the background count is apt to be highly variable.
This, coupled with the fact that they do not know the background activities
of such things as soil and biological materials, mnkes it very difficult
to evaluate the reports,
Neny of the reports of “ash" falling in verious
parts ‘of Japan are undoubtedly dust or soot calls that occur normally in
ary industrial areca from time to time. Reputadle scientists have examined
samples of potassium-rich soil and have repyrtcd their date is gross
counts without any reference to normel soil background, For this reason
I find it very difficult to take serious the frequent public report of
50 to 100 counts per minute for the unspecified size of samples reported
°
from time to time,
At my conference with the Japen scientists and government officinln
on March 2h, I explaincd the procedures we use in the States for
measuring falloute I urged them to use similar procedures for the
sake of uniformity and offered to loan them the equipment we used,
secmed wager to accept and I requested
sets of equipment which has
since arrived from the States, Yowever, since the arrival of this
They
equipment, I have delayed giving it to the Jepenese because in their
present state of mind little good could come of it.
-
I do believe,
:
however, that when the present confusion subsides, it will be useful
for the Japanese to maintuin a fallout monitoring network arc ©
we should cooperate with them to the fullest cvtent,.
In a conference with Dr. Kobayoshi on March 26, I informed him of
my conversation with Dr. Bugher and his offer in behalf of the Atomic
Energy Commission to provide financial support for marine biological
studies directad at the long range contamination of the Pacific. Or.
Kobayoshi, through his interprotor, expressed his appreciation for tris
offer but did not pursue the matter further and has not approached mc
groors Ba 208
since,
With regard to fallout on the Japanese islcnds themselves, it is to
be remembered that the position of those islands in relation to possible
sites of weapons testing is such that the Russian testing program is apt
to produce more fellout than cvents in the Marshalls or Nevada.
ing
Estimating
W
y
tne Whole Sady
Dcse
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ok
>“ 43
38
Bes
I doubt that it will be possible to make a saticfectory ent uate of
3
either the Beta or Gemma dose the fishermen receiv Sano tn hb
ash fell in such quantities that the deck of tne oi. 2 ute whit: © oo
there was sufficient material to develop visible fostprintr. Untor ounetct,
this is the limit of our information 92n how much ash fell and how long
it remained on the snip. The fishermen washed the decks im oruer to remove
the ash and according to their reports vseir washing was effective. “hen
the vesscl errived in Yaizu much of whet voruined was removed.
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