Qualitative Distribution of Radionuclides
years after contamination by fallout from a thermonuclear device indicates distinct differences between the terrestrial and marine environments. The
levels of radioactivity are low,
the concentrations
being less than the eaximum permissible concentration for radionuclides in food or drinking water of
man. Of the wide spectrum of radionuclides concentrated in the surface layers of the soil, strontium-90, antimony-125, and cesium-137 ere the principal nuclides entering into the soil solution.
The principai nuclides in the land plants and plant-
eating animals such as coconut crabs and the
indigenous rats are cesium-137 and, to a lesser
degree, strontium-90. Bottom sediments contain
mainly strontium-90 and europium-155. The radionuciitdes in the lagoon water have not been detected
but are probably present in minute amounts. Planktonic orgaSisms contain traces of manganese-54,
cobalt-57,60, zinc-65, zirconium-95, ruthenium-106
and cerium-144. The principal nuclide found in the
Marine algae is cerium-144.
In the marine invertebrates cobalt-60 and zinc-65 occur most commonly.
Corais and coralline algae contain some strontiun90. while the fish and sea birds are found to contain mostly zinc-65. The presence of zinc-65,
cesium-137, and strontium-90 in the body of the natives reflects a diet of both marine and terrestrial origin.
.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
the
This work was performed under contract ousber
AT(45-1)540 between the U. S. Atomic Energy Com-
mission and the University
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