average

highest

23942405

unlike

Also

‘‘goatfish.

.
concentrations

how

and

fish

in

concentrations

1376,

the

239+2

and

1376,

that

are

Pu

environmental —

to

relate

It is sufficient to point out here

and biological factors is in preparation.
+240

these

Cs

A full discussion

are found in the muscle tissue of the pelagic lagoon fish.
of

137

of

accumulated

in

higher

concentrations

in

some

species than in others because of the capacity individual species of fish have
to accumulate these radionuclides from the environment.
ingestion

7

of

13 Cs

(presently

the

Therefore to minimize

:

largest

contributor

to

the

small

doses

from the marine food chain), species of bottom-feeding fish should make up a
larger fraction of the marine diet.
COMPARISON OF FISH AND INVERTEBRATE RADIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATIONS

TO THOSE OF

UNITED STATES AND OTHER MARINE FOOD PRODUCTS
Recent measurements of radionuclide concentrations in fish muscle tissue
and other marine dietary items
‘ sources

are

summarized

generalizations
analysis

of

in Tables

can be made

fish

from a variety of national and

by

radionuclide

11

and

12

comparing

respectively.

these

concentrations

at

Several

obvious

results

to

independent
the

international

Marshall

our

Islands.

The

average concentrations of ee in the muscle tissue of any species from the
atolls or islands fall within the range observed in fresh fish typically found
in the United States and Japanese markets.
The

905,

is approximately

two

to

three

times

less

in

fish

from

the

atolls or islands than the average 906, concentration found in fish products
imported to the United States for consumption.
If the sources for canned marine foods imported to Likiep, Wotho, Ailuk,
Ujelang,
States,
fish

Utirik,
it

is obvious

exceeds

indigenous

Mejit,

the

to

and
that

average

these

atolls

Rongelap
the

are

also

90, concentrations

concentration
and

those

islands.

in

the

The

Tables 2 and 10 are also within the range of

the

in present-day

muscle

137¢6

supplying
tissue

of

United
imported

all

concentrations

fish

shown

in

levels associated with United

States marine dietary products and are significantly less than concentrations
in many commerical fish consumed in the United Kingdom.

Except at Rongelap,

concentrations of 1370 in mullet are generally lower than the concentration
presently detected
Except

for

the

in the mullet

second

from the east coast of the
.
2

trophic-level

fish

12

from Rongelap,

United

394240,

States.
:

levels

in

Select target paragraph3