feted etetenetd

-10-

of U255 as depicted by Hunter and Ballou (1951).

From their Figure

1 the following approximate slopes were obtained graphically: 20-100
days, -1.2; 200-547 days, -1.8, 2-6 years, -1.3; 10-25 years, -0.7;
150-180 years,

-3.7.

Thus, the mean slope for the Eniwetok samples is slightly
steeper than that of

Hunter

period from 2 to 6 years,

and

Ballou up to 100 days; then,

in the

the Eniwetok samples tend to be at first

less steep, and toward the end of the period, steeper.

Future counting

may show whether these curves will level slightly to -0.7 as does
Hunter and Ballou's curve at about 10 years.

For the first six curves (Table 1) of pre-Mike samples involving
products of the Greenhouse tests the curves tend to be steeper than for

corresponding periods for post-Mike samples.

Contamination of post-

Mike samples by the older products from Greenhouse would tend to pro-

duce an effect in this direction, but so marked an effect is rather surprising.
In contrast to the general

tendency

of the slopes to become steeper

as

noted above for the average

after 3 years, certain

curves

a slower decay than average may be of special importance.

showing

Curve 49

for rat muscle decayed most slowly of all those studied,

with a half

life during the

In gamma

last 3

years,

of more than 30 years.

spectroscopy of this plate only Cs!37 was detected.

A listing of those

Select target paragraph3