12
fishes is not known and the chemical form in which the radio-
nuclides are present in the lagoon waters can only be surmised.
We do not even know,
for example, whether the radionuclides
and their stable isotopes are present in the same chemical form.
Furthermore,
there
are no uncontestable data on the trace element
content of lagoon waters and probably will not be until the
techniques of sampling and processing seawater samples is greatly
improved.
However,
some hypotheses can be made and conclusions
can be drawn from certain data.
All of the fallout radionuclides at Bikini are found in
the surface of undisturbed soils.
in 1969 were 35 ne,
6000,
6500,
The predominant radionuclides
90,
125 Sp,
13745,
In the crater sediments only four predominate:
and 20755.
Be,
£900,
905,
and 20755, although many more are present in smaller quantities.
The soils and sediments are now the principal reservoirs of radio-
nuclides at Bikini. ‘The radionuclides are available to the land
animals through the vegetation, or other animals, where there
is selectionof specific radionuclides, or through direct ingestion of soil.
In the latter case,
the animal selects certain |
radionuclides from a wider variety of nuclides than is in the
vegetation.
|
Similarly, the marine animals may ingest radionuclides by
eating another organism or by ingesting sediments.
In addition,
the marine organism may absorb radionuclides directly from the