badge data from a nearby military outpost (S055). Our external dose value at
Sifo Island, 1.1. gray (110 rad) was greater than the 0.69 gray (69 rad)
originally estimated by Sondhaus from post-evacuation surveys of exposure
rate. The difference was due to the presence of very short-lived activation

and transuranic nuclides which, according to the nuclide composition, must
have been present during exposure at Sifo Island.

Medical observations concerning thyroid abnormalities have been tabulated

along with the new thyroid dose estimated for each person.

From these

results, the mean cancer risk rate in the exposed population of 251 people was
150 thyroid cancers per million person-gray-years at risk (1.5 + 2.5 thyroid
cancers per million person-rad-years at risk).
The mean time at risk for

thyroid cancer was 19 years.

The uncertainity derived for the estimate of

risk was based on the standard deviation in adult mean urine activity
concentration, the standard deviation in thyroid absorbed dose per unit
intake, and the standard deviation in the spontaneous frequency of thyroid
lesions in the unexposed comparison group.
In order to avoid unwarrented external and internal dose from the
deposited radioactivity, the inhabitants of these atolls were relocated out of

the affected area.

They returned to Utirik in June 1954 and to Rongelap in

June 1957.
Environmental and personnel radiological monitoring programs were
initiated in the mid 1950's by Brookhaven National Laboratory.
The objective
‘was to maintain a comprehensive radiological safety program.
Post-return
body~burden histories and activity-ingestion rate patterns were determined as
were estimates of internal committed effective dose equivalent.
External
exposure rate and living pattern data were also collected.
Relationships
between body burden or urine activity concentration and a declining continuous
intake scenario were developed in order to model retrospective and prospective
dose equivalent.
The dosimetric conclusions for the protracted exposure are

summarized in Table 1 (Le84).

Table 1.
Dosimetric conclusions for the protracted exposure of Rongelap and
Utirik Adults from day of return to 50 years.

Rongelap
Committed Effective

Utirik
Committed Effective

Nuclide

Dose Equivalent, Sv4S.E. Dose Equivalent, Sv4S.E.

Fe-55

4.8x1074 + 2,5x1074

zn-65
Sr-90
Cs-137
External

1.9x107>2
5.3x1074
2.2x1072
1.7x1072

Co-60

3.4x107* + 1.3x107°
+
+
+
+

1.0x107>
8.0x1074
lelxl072
3.4x107°

3.6x1074 + 2.0x107¢

4.4x107* + 3.3x1074
3.0x1072
1.0x1074
1.3x1072
4.1x1072

+
+
+
+

4.4x1072
5.0x107>
1.0x1072
8.2x1072

A decline in the daily activity ingestion rate greater than phat due
solely topfadioactive decay was egtimated to be 9% per yearfor
Cs, 8% per
year for
“Sr, 80% per year for
Zn and 60% per year for
~~Co. A tentative
value of 3% per year for Pu was estimated from sparse data.

Current studies

are aimed at determining the dosimetric impact of Pu. These values for the %
per year decline in activity ingestion rate were observed at both atolls and
do not account for the additional decline due to radioactive decay.

Select target paragraph3