SLIDE 30 According to Glasstone (G162) fallout will enter the Absorption through skin. body through the digestive tract, through the lungs, or through wounds or No direct absorption through skin is written about in JCAES7, abrasions. JCCRREF56, G162, Cr56 or Du56. Beta burns appeared on the skin of Rongelap people many weeks after exposure. Skin was thought by us to be intact at the f me of contamination. Harrison #a63) measured the extend to which gaseous I, were absorbed through human T, and aqueous so}yrions of K°~°I and and for h I the mean absorption rate was 7.8 x 10 For aqueous K i n. irritate to found was gas the Use of stable I carrier with Ty it was less. and blistsr skin which may have led to, increased absorption reported for Io (Ha63).,, Assuming Qel7 mn 3f skin surface was exposed, a surface gaseous activity of 110 MBq m© (3.1 x 107“Ci m “) and 49 hours pf exposure at I intake based on Rongelap Island, leads us t9 estimate 0.7 MBq (19Ci) an absorption rate 7.8 x10 “h “. This was a conservative estimate since the skin surface was not likely to be as contaminated as the ground surface due to Assuming the urine swimming, bathing and sloughing off of fallout granules. bioassay results (Ha54) were accurate, the conservatiye estimate of intake I. through skin represent 20% of the total intake for About half the Rongelap adults had skin lesions on the scalp, neck and It was not likely, therefore, that all feet 12 to 14 days post detonation. adults had 10% of skin surface exposed to ground contamination levels continuously, although it was assumed for the above estimate. Also, the iodine was in a solid calcium carbonate matrix apd was not likely to be as Therefore, it was assumed I. transportable across the skin as was aqueous K by us that absorption through skin was not important. ABSORPTION THROUGH SKIN 10% Skin - Rongelap Adult Male Utirik Adult Male Sifo Adult Male I M1y Surface Maximum Absorption Rate* h! Activity M Bqm” Intake M Bq 0.17 0.17 0.17 49 59 59 7.8x10°4 7.8X10°4 7.81074 100 12 37 0.72 0.094 0.29 Exposed m? Hours Exposed * Aqueous KI on skin surface. 32 Surface ry