RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT AT UNIVERSITY PARK. PENNSYLVANIA 1957-1959

Data were obtained on gross radioactive fallout (estimated by β ray counts) over a period of 131 weeks beginning in May of 1957 at The Pennsylvania State University. It was found that, in general, increase fallout counts were associated with increased precipitation as recorded by The Health Physics Office. Also, it was found that the relative amount of fluctuation was a direct function of the amount of nuclear testing activity in the immediately preceding interval (about 6 days if the debris were going to pass over this area). The variation in fallout in relation to the means (C. V. values) was relatively constant except for the second half of 1959. The most important point to be made is that there has been a consistent decrease in fallout over the interval studied, even through the end of 1960.