~554- Transuranic Resuspension Studies. Resuspension studies are beire formulated to determine the potential dose from transuranics to residing populations via the Inhalation pathway and will be initiated in April and May 1978. The basic program will consist of air sampling with super high-volume samplers, personal samplers, and a variety develop a basic understanding of ecosystem, to evaluate the major marine or terrestrial standard high-volume samplers, of other samplers. Our goals are to the resuspension process in the ato)! source of observed mass-loading (i.e., in origin), and to develop a resuspension mode} that can be applied to other [slands and atolls. Radionuclide Content of Coconut Products. In FY 1978, we will begin our analysis of the cocdnut ofl] and dried pulp (processed at the Majuro plant) obtained from coconuts grown on Bikini Island and from those grown on other uncontaminated atolls. We must determine whether the 13/cs and 9°Sr appear in the coconut of] or whether the radionuclides remain in the dried pulp. The coconut crop from Bikini Atoll could presently double the output of copra from the Marshall islands. The dried pulp is sold on the world market as a major feed for livestock and the sale of coconut of! offsets the cost of plantinc, harvesting, transporting, and processing the coconut at Majuro. Thus the profit for the Marshall Islands and its people comes from the sale of the dried pulp for feed. [It Is critically important to evaluate an* understand the distribution of radionuclides In the coconut products and to assess the impact of such coconut pulp sales on the wor! dwide dose to man. Dietary Intake of Plutonium. Initially, we had planned to the dietary intake of determine analyze native food samples to levels and body burdens of urlne with values the plutonium and compare plutonium observed by the medical program in the islands. However, when we visited the islands (November 1977) to initiate this study, the Trust Territory Government had just started a massive food subsidy program. Sufficient food is being shipped in to supply the entire diet and no locally grown food is to be eaten. We are now attempting to determine whether any significant data can yet be obtained to help interpret previous data at Bikini Island and whether some locally grow food products (e.g., coconut) will still be used and therefore lead to en wos continued plutonium intake via diet. will be made this year. Final decisions on this study Enewetak Atoll] Enewetak Test Gardens. At Enewetak Atoll, we have continued tc develop the test plots whicn were initiated in August 1975. We have collected considerable 137Cs data on the annual crops (papaya, banana, and sweet potato). Many samples from these test plots are presently being processed for analysis and, by the end of this fiscal year, vé should have a data base of concentration factors for the three crops.