Introduction
In a previous report (No 76) describing the concentrations of specific
radionuclides detected in the lagoon water of Kwajalein Atoll
167°40'E), it was concluded that the concentrations of
(9°N
2394240,
u and
137
Cs
~ “were similiar to the global tallout concentrations detected in north
equatorial Pacific surface waters.
However, samples of fish collected from
Kwajalein Atoll in 1972 (Ne 73) contained concentrations of
23942405,| that
were higher than levels in fish from other global regions contaminated only
with global fallout debris.
Another study had reported (Sc 75) that the
concentrations of plutonium in convict surgeon fish collected from regions
of Enewetak Atoll, one of the Pacific nuclear test sites used by the U.S.
between 1948 and 1958, were not significantly different than levels in fish
from the control station, Kwajalein Atoll.
This was unexpected because
during 1972, 1974 and 1976 the average concentration of
2394240, in
Enewetak lagoon water (No 78a) was 60 to 190 times higher than the 1975
average Kwajalein lagoon water concentration of 0.45 + 0.21 pCi/m> (No 76).
One is compelled to submit,
based on these data,
that the use of a
concentration factor to relate plutonium concentrations in marine organisms
to environmental concentrations seems highly questionable.
Based on these
1972 plutonium concentration data (Ne 73) for eviscerated whole fish and
the average concentration in 1975 Kwajalein lagoon seawater,
the calculated
concentration factors for the Kwajalein fish would range from 2 x 10° to 6
x 10°.
These values are orders of magnitude larger than other reported
(Ne
75, No 78b, He 75, No 72) concentration factors for plutonium in fish.
Th e
2394240
Pu concentrations of eviscerated and whole reef fish from
Enewetak Island of Kwajalein Atoll in 1972 ranged from 230-960 pCi/kg dry
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