Cad

co

Ae AREEO ie ny ap “ere ERP se RCNR

Concentration of plutonium isotopes in a coral section corresponding

TABLE 3.

to the growth year 1971-1972.
station B-3.

Coral taken at Bikini Atoll at

Noshkin et al., 1974

pCi/a, dry, + % error
2385,

wow ot

0.005 + 18

23942400,
0.13 +7

2405,
0.058 + ]

> REE-0 “UP ORETERER Tyeirene

1.5 + 6

Noshkin et al. (op. cit.) found the 23942405, concentration in the coral
averaged over the years 1968-1972 was 0.23 dpm/g.

2 IA ET

241,

The concentrationfactor

between the coral and sea water (for this same period) was estimated at 2,700.
Sakanoue et al. (1971) found .0042 d/m/g 23942405, in a coral taken from an

{sland near the Ryuku islands south of Japan.

If the plutonium (239+240) con-

centration in East China sea water (one of several also reported by Sakanoue)
is used to calculate a concentraticn factor, a similar value of 2,500 is
Oi tained,

4.
4.1

EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY AND PROCEDURES

Collections and Preliminary Sample Treatment
An Ekman dredge and a 3-inch, inside diameter, gravity coring

cevice were used for the collection of surface sediments and sediment cores at
*** locations shown in Fig. 5.

The collections were made during October and

‘cverher of 1972 aboard the Puerto Rico Nuclear Center ship RMV R. F. Palumbo.
:. F. G. Lowman (Puerto Rico Nuclear Center), V. E£. Noshkin (Lawrence

-'verrore Laboratory), and W. R. Schell (Laboratory of Radiation Ecology) and

ieeer

ome mmegign

rmnet ae

merters of each of these principal investiagors' staff were responsible for

** sammole collections detailed in Tables 4
and 5.
Fror the surface of each grab sample, a 7-cm diameter by 2.54 cm deep

‘! ‘*2ical "core" (about 100 g dry weight) was removed for analysis as surface
“strent.

Although an attempt was made to collect sediment cores from every

Select target paragraph3