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That, combined with radionuclide results, makes a strong case for a nuclear test, the authors say.

The water is treated to remove most radioactive elements except for tritium, a radionuclide difficult to separate from water, and then diluted to internationally accepted levels before being released into the ocean.

Aeon, a major supermarket chain Aeon that has been testing cesium and iodine levels in fish, announced plans to also test for tritium, a radionuclide inseparable from water.

The researchers wrote that there are “locations in New Mexico where radionuclide deposition reached levels on par with Nevada.”

“If one barrier fails, you have other barriers that can minimize or prevent radionuclide release.”