vela@ht basis than soft tissues. We ighed samples of tissues in pliofilm bags vere dried overnight eat 1009 C and sent to the Applied Fisheries Laboratory in Seattle for processing,which was usually accomplished about a month efter collecting. In processing, the samples in pliofilm bags were applied to the plates(1 1/2-inch stainless steel, previously weighed), ashed overnight at 500° - 550° C, slurried vith alcohol, and dried. The plated ash received a few drops of Pormvar dissolved in ethylene dichloride (up to 1 mg dry equivalent) to affix the ash to the plate. The plates vere then veighed, and counted in methane gas-flow counters. Except in the case of rats, counts were corrected back to date of collection using the decay rate of island soi) (plate 7542) collected May 15, 195% at Belle (Fig. 5, p. 11). Por rats the decay correction vas based upon the individual decay rate for each plate. Self-absorption correction factors were based upon land soil collected June 7, 1954 at Edna, the decay curve of which (plate 9170) appears in Pigure 5, page 1]. Within seven months after Nectar an increase in average energy necessitated a re- duction in the self-absorption correction factor for the later counting. The following tabulation illustrates these changes. Ash weight in mg/plate Self-absorption correction factor for sgun te Before November 1, 1955 After Nevember 1, 19 3 10 39 190 200 1090 1.9 1.1 1.4 2.1) 2.9 4.3 1.0 1.1 1.3 1.6 1.9 2.5 Geometry and backscatter for the counters and ;lates used required a combined correction factor of 1.58. Cotrelidence correction factors vere determined and apriled for the counters em loyed. For tne decay curves plate counts were used, corrected only for coinetdence. Arplying these correction factors gave vilues in disintegrations per minute per gram (d/m/g) of wet tissue as of the date of collection. Processing techniques are further discussed in UWFL-43 and WT-616. Three significant figures vere retained throughout the calculations, finally being rounded to two. After plotting d/m/g against time the ordinate was in some graphs calibrated siso in pr’crocurtes yer kilogram (uc/kg), s9ssuming 1 uc to equa] 2.2 x 16 a/m.

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