-13~
II.
a REPORT ON
TEE IODINE 131 HAZARD Fi.OM GHOnT-RANGE
FaLLOUL 1 ROLUCED BY NUCLEAR TESTS AT THE NEVADA TEST
SITE
1)
-
The problem
This report is an inquiry into the hazard resulting from
exposure of local populations,
especialiy in the vicinity of the
Nevada Test site to iodine 131 in frllout produced by nuclear
explosions at that site.
At the hearings of the Joint Congressional Committee on
Atomic Energy held in 1957, Or.
Lyle Alexander summarized
the iodine 131 hazard briefly:
"For a period of days following
a heavy deposition of fresh fallout, iodine 131, which has a
half life of 8 days, may be of importance in direct contamina-
tion of vegatation.
Radioiodune is selectively concentrated
in the thyroid gland, where excessive accumulations cause.
cancer and cell destruction.
anjury to the gland may not
ve detected unti? long after the iodine has decayed."
The Federal
Radiation Council, in its Report #4,
states
that "In the special case where nearly all of the annual intake
(of iodine 131) could cone from exposure *2 abnormally high
concentrations in a ical
erea,
nuclear expiosiss of low yielded.
resulting frow a single
the Council
cecognized that
some small nuncber o% individual infunts could conceivably
receive doses Vi
whole."
135 40 tines “he averace for tie area as a
the hirhest average cose tc
infant thyroids due
primarily to one high excursion of levels in 192 was 620
millirems in Salt Lake City,
where most of the dose did