WW for this purpose, only the radionuclide concentrations reported in bottom waters (3 m above the sediment-water interface) were used, and the ratiooci/ms bottom water/pCi/g surface sediment was computed at each sampling station only where the concentrations of individual radionuclides in the water were reported in both soluble and particulate concentration (except for 2385, and 1376. which were not reported in soluble and particulate fractions). These comparisons are shown in Fig. 25, in a histogram showing both the total and particulate water/sediment ratios. This diagram shows that striking similarities, as well as large differences, exist between the distributions of the radionuclides in the sediment and bottom water. Of considerable interest is the close similarity of the particulate/sediment ratios of 239+240 Puy 2at an, and V5, at each station. Although significant concentrations of "soluble" species occur at many lagoon stations, these data suggest that either: (1) these radionuclides enter the water column together via their intimate association with finely resuspended sediments, or (2) that their initial chemical reactions are similar. It should be pointed out that except for a high value measured in Station B-2 deep water, the absolute concentrations of "soluble" plutonium found within the northern and within the southern group deep water stations are similar. This fact emphasizes a conservative nature for the distribution found for "soluble" species, rather than an alternative explanation which would be changes in the physical-chemical states between the "soluble" < 0.3um and particulate > 0.3um fractions. Thus, as opposed to the concentration of soluble species, the concentrations of the particulate fraction appears related to sedimentary processes. The few data points available for 23854 indicate no significant dis-~ similarity between the sediment-water distributions of total 238, and 23942405 However, since no data are presently available on the soluble/