ke PROJECT IZ: INFLUENCES OF RECENTLY CONTAMINATED ‘ENVIRONMENTS ON NATIVE° FLORA AND FAUNA NEAR THE NEVADA PROVING GROUNDS This is a proposed project to be carried out as a part of the Bio- logical Field Section's program. A biological survey of areas adjacent to the Nevada Proving Grounds was conducted during the Upshot-Knothole Test series. This was the first biological monitoring and radiological evaluation to be attempted during and immediately after an initial contamination by Fall-out at distances greater than ten miles from Ground Zero along the predicted line of Fallout. It also represents a successful attempt to study the problem of Fall—out in terms of the total environment with respect to time. This was made possible by the coordinated operations of the Dust and Particulate Section and Biological Field Survey Sections operating under Program 276 The biological data obtained thus far may be briefly summarized as follows : 1. Sertain fission products were immediately "available" to native rodents as indicated by uptake of activity at pec levels. 2. The decay of residual environmental activity, decay of activity fourd in individual animal tissues and tissue activity found in ° animals serially collected from one location in a single Fallovt pattern was remarkably similar, suggesting: a. The animals were initially contaminated during the first day of Fall—out only, or b. The level of metabolized activity was at equilib&ium with the available activity in the environment. 3. The total amount of metabolized activity was a fraction of one per cent of the total activity in the animal's immediate environment; the environment studied was less than twenty miles from Ground Zero. | om : , DOS ARCHIVES -