Discussion
Water Concentrations
The average
2394240
Pu concentrations of the lagoon seawater, computed
from Table 1, were 0.45 + 0.21 pCi/m® in 1975 and 0.54 + 0.11 pCi/m? in
1976.
During these two years the average concentrations of 13765 were 133
+ 7 and 138 + 7 pCi/m.
There was no significant difference in the average
concentrations during these years.
average fallout concentrations of
In north equatorial surface seawater,
239+240
Pu and
137
were 0.36 + 0.11 and 142 + 10 pci/m, respectively.
concentration of
137
Cs during the two years
The average
Cs in the lagoon is not significantly different from
fallout concentrations in the oceanic surface waters which are continuously
in exchange with the lagoon.
The average concentration of
23942405,
in the
Open ocean is slightly lower than the lagoon mean concentration but it is
within the statistical uncertainty associated with the value.
The concentrations of
2394240,
u and
137
Cs in surface water collected
in 1975 and 1976 at station 5 were essentially identical during the two
years.
Unlike the levels at station 5,
station 1 were different.
the 2394240, concentrations at
Bottom water from station 1 in 1975 and 1976
surface water contained plutonium levels which were higher than the lagoon
average.
Station 1 is approximately 100 yards from the remains of the
Prinz Eugen, a WW II German cruiser that was used as a target vessel during
the Able and Baker nuclear events held at Bikini in 1946,
The vessel was
towed to Kwajalein after the tests and capsized on the lagoon shelf.
Fish
collected near the vessel in 1947 showed trace amount of radioactive
material in the organisms (Hi 62).
It is possible that even after 31
MOF ART VES