if TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES 2 6. 2 2 we ee ee ee ee tt ews iv LIST OF TABLES vi ...... a rr weet ee we we we ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 2. 2 0 2 ew eh ew ww we we a INTRODUCTION ..... see we ewe rr 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 3. PROBLEMS, PROCESSES AND LITERATURE: ....... WwW AN OVERVIEW Production and Occurrence of Transuranium Isotopes 3.2 Introduction of Radioactivity in Fallout 3.3 Chemical Properties of Plutonium and Americium in Aqueous Environments . 2... 6. 2 we we ee ewe 12 3.3-1 12 General consideration situ +. e& e &®& @ 6© @ “ws ....... . ... 2.2 ee ee eer ae @ * Physical-chemical states and observations in .... es e e e CJ a * eo ° * . FP 3.1 3.3-2 » 16 3.4 Plutonium and Americium Distributions in Sofl and Sediments ee ee he we he he hh tt tht th wht 19 3.5 Environmental Aspects of Bikini Atol? ....... 2. wee 22 Geography and hydrology .. 2... 2 eee we eee Lagoon sediments . 2... 1 eee ewe we ee wee 22 24 3.5-1 3.5-2 3.6 4. ........ rr WwW 7. vii Previous Radiological Surveys of Bikini and Eniwetok Atoll] Sediments . 1... 6 1 se ee ee we ee we we een es METHODS AND PROCEDURES 4.1 eh ee te we eww 33 .....4.. 33 Total alpha measurements . 2. 1... 22 we ee wee Sample dissolution . 2... 2. ee we eee eee 37 39 Collections and Preliminary Sample Treatment 4.1-1 4.1-2 4.2 ......-.-s oe ee 29 Procedures for Alpha Emitting Radionuclides ....... 4.2-1 Chemical procedures for ptutonium and uranium ..... oe ee see ee ee ee 4.2-2 4,2-3 4.2-4 4.2-5 Chemical procedure for isolating polonium-210 Instrumentation and calibrations ........-. Quality control .. 1... 11 eee ee ew ws Computational methods ..... Pr 40