Pacific Northwest Laboratory monthly activities report, February 1968

Measurements of radioactivity in 277 children were completed at the fourth Pasco Elementary School on February 16. Whole-body counting of children at the fifth elementary school began on February 21, following lectures to 12 classrooms in grades one through six. Analysis of pheasants, quail and chukar shot locally revealed that only birds collected in the vicinity of the Columbia River contained detectable P{sup 32} and Zn{sup 65}. In decreasing order of concentrations the three species ranked chukar > pheasant > quail. Heads of the birds consistently contained more of these two radionuclides than the edible flesh by factors varying up to 20. A ca5% sample of local hunters was drawn from Washington State Game Department records in February. A questionnaire designed to gather data on hunting and consumption of game birds by local residents will be mailed to these 657 people in March. The results will aid in defining the importance of game-bird consumption to local environmental radiation doses. Diet distributions of Richland and Benton City elementary school pupils were computed this month. Consumptions of various foods were determined for various age groups of boys and of girls.