22. 



ciently decayed. This implies that the corrosion, erosion or leaching 

 rates for containers can be readily determined. Actually, this is not 

 so. Properties of this kind can be set only within wide limits. 

 Attempts to naeasure the "holding property" of containers designed for 

 disposal into depths up to 1, 000 fathoms indicated considerably more 

 rupturing and breakup than expected. On the other hand, if dispersal 

 and dilution of the waste is to be successful, it must be possible to 

 calculate the reduction in concentration by turbulent diffusion processes 

 for any given rate of introduction into any ocean area. Again, the 

 uncertainties are rather large. 



Our basic approach to these problems is as follows. We consid- 

 ered first the mechanisms that might bring radioactivity from the 

 disposal site back to man. There appear to be two such mechanisms. 

 They are: 



A. A combination of diffusion and transport mechanisms whereby 

 the radioactivity would be carried from the disposal area shoreward so 

 as to create a hazard to man' s industrial or recreational use of the 

 immediate shore line area. 



B. Uptake of the wastes by the marine biota in the disposal area 

 and in the areas through which the wastes are carried, followed by 

 transfer of the wastes to fish or shellfish that become food for man. 



In evaluating the amount of radioactivity that could be returned to 



