Cohn, Robertson, Conard
Sr/Ca ratios were highest «over 1,000 yc Sr®. g of calcium) in portulaca,
coconut meat and milk and pandanus (Weiss et al, 1956). Portulaca had a particularly high $r9°/Ca ratio. ranging from 6,000 to 25,800 pyc Sr®/g of calcium, Average Sr*¢'Ca ratios in common foods collected at 3 and 4 vears
are discussed later in considering the dietary estimatc of bodv burdens in the
exposed Marshallese.
Water
Ocean and lagoon water samples were collected initially off several islands
in addition to the samples collected from cisterns and wells on the islands. Water
from the cisterns and a well on Rongelap had high levels of activity (1 ye/liter)
at 30 days. The predominant radsonuclide present in the water at this time
was Sr8*_ Cistern water contained varving levels of contamination, depending
on the orginal contamination, nature of watershed areas, etc. The occan water
salnpies contained very smail umounts of beta activity, presumably denved from
activity washed off the islands. The radiochemical composition of ground water,
Tapir 4. Average relative composition of nuclides in plants, soil and water, March 1956
(from Weiss et al. 1956)
Relative composition {per cent)
5
Piant
ource
No. of
samples
Part
averaged
T ota!
rare
Cs’
earths
Sr®
Ru”
1
48.9
39.2
]
79.8
17.8
2.5
3
2
2
1
2
98.2
96.9
99.5
99.6
8.3
1.1
0.05
0.4
0.2
86.5
OF
100
one
uu.
O.2
0.4
ee
5.1
Plants
Portulaca
Le a ae. Whole
Papava
beste ect ceases a
fruit
busk
meat
COCO oe ceceees sectssssstssseeteeceteee shel]
milk
leaves
Pandanus |...
keys
2
92.6
cu ee . leaves
2
727
88.9
ATTOW TOOE ioe cece eee fuber
leaves
}
]
Soil
Depth, O12 im. le
55
10.3
5.1
0.8
8.9
75.4
11.7
16.8
83.9
1.0
3.0
6.8
1.4
0.34
83.8
5.6
10.0
CISCO os ects eerie
Wel oc ccccccccccceseetcee ceecotesvesnensce
Fe
64.4
100
OCEAN ccccceetctetetees cette sce
100
air root
2
Water
10:
314
|
2.2
Gh 2 10
wT}
a
in
fee
cect
13.3
VW.8
94.5
35.6
Dae
Bette
0