656 TRANSURANIC ELEMENTS IN THE ENVIRONMENT 



TABLE 7 Concentrations of ^^^'^'**'Pu in Vegetation 



Samples (Juncus halticus, Rumex crispiis. and Typha 



latifolia) Associated with the Rocky Flats Pond System 



*Number of samples. 



with the ponds is of a more biologically available form. This appears contradictory to 

 laboratory experiments which do not include a variety of environmental factors that 

 could contribute to an increased uptake of plutonium, such as surface contamination. 



Fauna 



A variety of small and large mammals were opportunistically captured during the course 

 of this study. The data associated with this compartment were too few except to draw 

 tentative conclusions. However, it would appear that fauna associated with the Rocky 

 Flats area, in general, maintained a relatively low systemic body burden of plutonium 

 (Table 8). 



Conclusions 



The results obtained in this study were of a very preliminary nature because of the more 

 general systems approach to the study and to the use of an analytical technique that 

 provided no isotopic discrimination. Owing to the cost of sophisticated sample analyses, a 

 majority of activity levels near fallout background and /or analytical detectability, and the 

 overall complexity of a systems approach, only tentative conclusions can usually be 

 ascertained for transuranic elements in the environment. However, the tentative 

 conclusions drawn from this study and others are, in general, the same. 



Althougli the various components of the aquatic system at Rocky Flats are 

 concentrating plutonium to a relatively high degree, there appears to be no direct 

 evidence that concentrations of plutonium observed will result in a biological hazard to 



