18
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF AREAS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN FROM NUCLEAR TESTS
C. Soils
Tables 19 and 20 show the analyses by
HASL.®
The data clearly indicate the major portion
of the activity is to be found in the top three
inches of the soil. As suggested in chapter ITT,
Ce™—Pr™ and Ru—-Rh'!make up much of the
fixed contamination in thesoils at periods of one
year and moreafter the fallout occurred.
Graph 3 shows the general levels of activity
in the soils of Kabelle and Labaredj Islands of
Rongelap Atolls, as reported by AFL.?
Tables 15, 16 and 17 report the activity in
different soils at different depths for the February 1955 survey,’ and Table 18 for the February 1956 survey * by NRDL.
Table 15—Beta Activity in Core Samples of Soil (NRDL)*
Beta Activity (4-/min/g)
No. or
CORES
ISLAND
1-IN. INCREMENT OF SOIL CORING
Ist
2d
3d
4th
5th
NDA!
NDA
Likiep__...----..--------------------------
1
140
40
40
Utirik_.-..--..-------.------------- anew nee
3
1, 280
480
240
130
Rongelap._._.. --.-------2-----2--20--4---Busch__--.....---.---2-.- cee eee
Enisetok._._._...------------------------Labared].---.---..------.-------.---------Kahello--.---.---.-------------.----------
4
1
1
1
3
6, 600
10, 800
57, 000
42, 000
43, 000
2, 100
7, 100
24, 000
33, 000
30, 000
570
7, 200
4, 300
29, 000
10, 000
420
6, 400
18, 000
23, 000
3, 600
Bikar. 2... 2.2.2-0- 2-22 e eee eee
3
Lomuilal_.._-...---.---2----.2------------Gejen__.-----.---- nee ee eee ee
Lukuen..-......----..---------------------
3
1
2)
Eniwetak_......-2.--2------ eee eee
53,000
37,000
35,000!
2
(2) No detectable activity.
*Collections made about February 1, 1955.
4, 000
16, 000
48,000
37, 000
40,000]
740
7, 500
NUMBER
oF SAMPLES
Beta
ACTIVITY
(6-/
min/g), DEPTH oF
SoIL
Otol in.
Likiop_.....----. 2222-22 ae
Utirik..2.. 2200-0 0222. 2
Rongelap........-----------------Enlaetok._....---2.
Labaredj._.--.--.-._-.-.-.------Kabelle__....----...----- ee
Gejen___.-.-.--.- ele
Bikar._......--------------------Eniwetak.._...._-------------.2-
*Collections made about February 1, 1955.
1, 1955,
I
4
5
2
3
6
1
1
1
250
3,000
20, 000
4, 000
10,500]
170
2, 000
ith
8th
9th
[_ 0.20 ]--- 22-2 -]--2.2.----]----------
100
166
60
25
|.--------.
230
160
200
150
50
6, 800 |...--.---.|----------]------_-.-]---------26, 000
12, 000
11, 000 |--.-------J---------19, 000 |.----..---]-------.--]----------]--+--.---2, 000
2, 300
180 |.0..-----|.---------
14, 000
4, 400
10,000}
1,000 |._....-.--]---..-----h.2.-----.3,400 |.--..-----f eee
10,000
4,700 |......--.-|..--------
120
100
1, 800
27
1, 100
160
|_---------]----------
100 |_...---.-.
Data reported as of March 1, 1955.
Table 16—Summary of Beta Activity in Gross
Samples of Soil (NRDL)*
ISLAND
26,000]
8, 000
13,000]
6th
lto5in.
90 |_-_--- Lee
960
550
8, 900
800
48, 000
640
85, 000
1, 300
96, 000
3, 100
348, 000
12, 400
8, 400
90
12, 000
240
Data reported as of March
Table 17—Beta Activity in Soil Samples Taken
From Exposed Soil Profiles (NRDL)*
DeEptH (N.)
Beta Activity (8-/min/g), ISLAND
Rongelap| Labared}|
Kabelle
Kabelle
93,000
2, 900
Kabelle
Oto 1..--.-2 ee.
B eee nneee n-ne nee
12,400
1, 500
130,000}
380
72,000}
6, 800
6. --_-. eeu le.
110
950
1, 700
400
130
9. wee eee
140
12..--------------- NDA(*)
18_......------.-70
770
160
120
130
40
70
2, 300
580
70
240
140
90
40
100
24. ne eee fee nee
30.2.2. eee |e fee eee
70
NDA
97, 000
440
NDA
]-_.--------
36_- 2222-0 fe ef ee fee
60
fe.
40-22 eee effin ee
40
}--------..
* No detectable activity.
*Collections made about February 1, 1955.
1, 1955,
Data reported as of March