Amchitka Radiobiological Program. Progress report, January-December 1978

• Main Authors: Tornberg, L.D., Nakatani, R.E.
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; PLUTONIUM 239; RADIONUCLIDE KINETICS; RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION; PLUTONIUM 240; STRONTIUM 90; ALASKA; AMCHITKA ISLAND AREA; AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS; BERYLLIUM 7; FALLOUT; POTASSIUM 40; RADIOACTIVITY; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS; TRITIUM; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDE NUCLEI; ALEUTIAN ISLANDS; ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES; ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES; ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BERYLLIUM ISOTOPES; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; ECOSYSTEMS; ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES; ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; EVEN-ODD NUCLEI; HEAVY NUCLEI; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI; ISLANDS; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MASS TRANSFER; NORTH AMERICA; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION; PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES; POTASSIUM ISOTOPES; RADIOISOTOPES; STRONTIUM ISOTOPES; USA; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; Pacific; Seymour; Amchitka; Amchitka Island; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5768686; https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5768686; https://doi.org/10.2172/5768686

The Amchitka Radiobiological Program began in 1970 and is a continuing program to collect biological and environmental samples for radiometric analyses. This report is an account of the program for calendar year 1978. Results of analyses for samples collected in August 1978 have been added to the tables of Seymour and Johnson (1978) which summarize the Amchitka program from 1970 to 1977 and include analyses for: (1) gamma-emitting radionuclides in freshwater, birds, lichens, marine algae, marine invertebrates, fish, aufwuchs, and freshwater moss and plants; (2) strontium-90 (/sup 90/Sr) in rats, birds, and soil; (3) /sup 239/, /sup 240/Pu in sand, soil, marine algae, and fish; and (4) tritium (/sup 3/H) in seawater, freshwater, and biological organisms. Monitoring of background radiation with survey instruments was added to the Laboratory's program in 1974, and the results of the five annual surveys since that date are included in this report. Conclusions from the results of the recent analyses are a reiteration of the results stated in Nelson and Seymour (1975a); namely, (1) no new radionuclides are present; (2) the most abundant radionuclides are naturally occurring beryllium-7 (/sup 7/Be) and potassium-40 (/sup 40/K); (3) the trace quantities of fission products and induced radionuclides are from world fallout; and (4) a trace of /sup 3/H contamination remains in some Long Shot ponds, as previously reported. It is concluded that there were no radionuclides of Milrow or Cannikin origin in the water, plants, or animals of Amchitka Island.