are able to tolerate if not to enjoy
were comparable.
Although the levels
.
7
20
of both
Cs and
Sr are low at
these highly mineralized waters with
no ill effects.
Hence,
can be tolerated,
if
che
the water
taste
FWR 4,
from the
1
the
the 906, concentration exceeded
37 o.
Level.
Jn contrast,
com-
chemically acceptable wells could
parison of the radionuclides
be used for drinking by the Bikinians.
Bikini groundwater shows that the
However,
that
a recent study?> has shown
Sr was either comparable to
137
the concentrations of some water
components such as SO,
Cl in some U.S.
4
in
Na, Ca, and
Cs or much lower.
The two islands
differ either with respect
water supplies are
the
to the
mechanisms regulating the cycling
close to or within chronic toxicity
of these two radionuclides or with
limits
respect to the relative inventories
that could lead
to weight
0
.
loss, diarrhea in infants, urinary
of 1376, and
disease,
supplying the water reservoirs.
strong physiological effects,
and arthritic conditions in humans.
Sr in the sources
On the average,
2.4% of
the total
Many of the same chemical constitu-
Ilo. was found associated with the
ents measured in the brackish and
particulate material in the Bikini
chemically acceptable wells on
groundwater samples.
Bikini and Eneu are close
FPWR 4,
limits defined in Ref.
to
the
RADIONUCLIDES
among
34% of
the
los
At
in the water
is associated with particulate
material.
The radionuclide concentrations
vary
the fraction is similar to
the average fraction at Fneu.
13.
FWR 4,
ENEU ISLAND:
Except for
This unusually high per-
centage indicates
the groundwater samples
that
this water
collected from the Eneu locations.
contains unique particulates having
The 13766,
a high affinity for eg,
906
and
239,240),
The water at FWR 4 is of high
concentrations show no obvious
correlations with water freshness,
quality,
and the
of radionuclides.
137
s/o osx ratios in the
On
At FWR 1,
,
for example,
.
Sr is higher in concentration than
3 Cs but is significantly lower
water from FWR 3.
centrations of
U.S.
The 906,
Health Service limit of 10 pCi/litre.
At FWR 2 the con-
FWR lL has the next freshest ground-
the two radionuclides
water,
-14-
sUbUZE2
freshwater supplies.
level is 34% of the U.S. Public
than
137A. in both the surface and bottom
The levels of
those in the Bikini cisterns and in
the
.
137
and has low levels
Oc, and 1376. are comparable to
water show no apparent geographical
patterns.
however,
but
the
Oc concentrations in