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The Effects of Atomic Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries (1957) / Chapter Skim
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LARGE-SCALE BIOLOGICAL EXPERIMENTS USING RADIOACTIVE TRACERS
Pages 133-141

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From page 133...
... On the other hand, the determination of exact amounts of isotopes introduced, of their spatial distribution, and of their physical state presents some difficulty. Biological studies, in connection with the various weapons tests in the Western Pacific ocean, have been primarily directed toward determining the concentration of gross activity in different organisms, the localization of such activity in different parts of the organism, and the rates of decline of activity with time.
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From page 134...
... Data from experiments with radioactive tracers, together with more limited field data, indicate that the transfer efficiencies are different for different elements. In those situations, following weapons tests, where there is a fairly extensive body of water containing radioisotopes at some particular level, say at the surface, it should be possible by means of collections at various depths over a period of time to obtain worthwhile information on the vertical migrations of organisms, and also to determine how the feeding and excretion patterns of such organisms transport radioisotopes from one level to another.
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From page 135...
... These introductions also constitute large-scale experiments on both the direct and genetic effects of long-term exposure of marine organisms to atomic radiations. It is important that these effects be carefully investigated, because it is possible that the larger organisms in the sea, which are subjected to much lower rates of natural radiation than terrestrial forms (due to the shielding effects of water on cosmic rays, as well as to the low gamma-ray activity per unit volume of sea water compared with the rock and soil of the land)
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From page 136...
... They do not specify the time involved, but it may be presumed to be of the order of one week to one month. For biological experiments, it would be necessary to make observations over a longer period of time, also we cannot commence significant biological observations until the contaminated area is sufficiently large to ensure knowledge of which animals are or have been in the active water.
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From page 137...
... We might employ such an apparatus of 20 meters diameter by 10 meters deep, having a volume of -n 102 cubic meters, or Trx10' liters. By filtering 10 liter samples for phytoplankton, with 20 per cent efficient counting equipment, we would need to provide about 3 x10-5 curies per liter, or a total of about 1/10 curie of C".
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Key Terms

  • weapons tests
  • trophic levels
  • cubic meters
  • food chain
  • biological experiments

  • mixed fission
  • ecological processes
  • water mass
  • contaminated water
  • time scale

  • mixed layer
  • unit volume
  • upper mixed
  • water containing
  • experiments using

  • larger quantities
  • planned experiments
  • scale experiments
  • gamma activity
  • average depth

  • radioactive water
  • irish sea
  • artificially bounded
  • cost basis
  • measure directly

  • various populations
  • ocean waters
  • chemical energy
  • conditions arises
  • logistically feasible


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