373 



This report, in first submission format by the contractor, provides 

 radioanalytical data for the nuclides cesium-137, lead-210, 

 plutonium-238, plutonium-239 and 240, americium-241, and strontium-90 in 

 biological and sediment samples taken from the 3800 meter Atlantic 

 dumpsite in 1978. The sediments tested did not show significant levels 

 of radioactivity. Americium-241 was recorded in very hiqh levels 

 (significant concentrations) in the rattail fish, Nezumia bairdi , 

 although not in other biological samples or in sediments obtained 

 adjacent to radioactive waste containers. The americium in the fish was 

 in lower concentrations in the muscle, or edible, fraction of the fish. 

 The rattail is not a commercially harvested species in the United 

 States, and no commercial fishing occurs in the immediate vicinity of 

 the dumpsite. No other nuclides were found in elevated concentration in 

 this or other biological samples. The author concludes that the 

 observed americium-241 in the rattail fish came from the radioactive 

 wastes. In EPA's judgement this is a speculative conclusion, and it 

 cannot be verified at this time. Other possible explanations are 

 measurement error or bioconcentration by the rattail fish of fallout 

 from atmospheric weapons tests. Study of this data is continuing, and 

 it appears that resolution of the open questions will have to come from 

 further baseline and dumpsite sampling. 



Independently Published Reports by Survey Participant 



(1) Ito, Akihiko, "Surveys of Deepsea Radioactive Waste Disposal 

 Sites by USEPA. 



This report, in Japanese, describes the participation of this 

 Japanese scientist in the EPA surveys of the Atlantic Ocean 2800 meter 

 disposal site. 



(2) Schell, William R., "Radionuclides at the Deep Water Disposal 

 Sites Located Near the Farallon Islands in the Pacific and at 

 the Mouth of the Hudson Canyon in our Atlantic", Presented at 

 the Second International Ocean Dumping Symposium, Woods Hole, 

 Ma., 15-19 April 1980. 



In this report, Schell summarizes his work for EPA at the Atlantic 

 and the Pacific dumpsites (number 10 in the Pacific summary and number 

 17 in the Atlantic summary). 



(3) Schell, W.R., and S. Sugai, "Radionuclides at the U.S. 

 Radioactive Waste Disposal Site Near the Farallon Islands", 

 Health Physics, Vol. 39., No. 3, pp 475-496. 



This report is a formal publication of the work conducted for EPA by 

 these researchers at the Farallon Islands dumpsites (number 10 in the 

 Pacific summary). 



16 



