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tural and housing projects, and Jater jneluded collections from the Bikini people
who returned to live on bikini Island. Monitoring of Bikini Island residents

was done by a whole body counter in 1974 and 1977 that measured the amount of

Cesium-137 in the body.
The AEC conducted a major resurvey of Bikini and Encu
Island external radiation levels in 1975 responding to a question of whether or
not additional houses could be constructed in the interior of Bikini Island.
Windmill powered air samplers were installed in the Atoll in 1977,
Findings and conclusions drawn from additional survey data were as follows:
1. he body burden data collected for Bikini Island residents in 1974, translate:
into whole body cose, plus external radiation, indicated a total annual whole bod:
exposure of about 0.2 Rem/yr.
This was well within the standard of 0.5 Rem/yr.
The diet at that time consisted of fish and imported food since there was little

available food growing on the island,

2. Body burden data collected for Bikini Island residents in April, 1977, indicated a 10-fold increase in Cesiun-137.
This translated into dose, plus external
radiation, indicated an annual whole body dose of about 0.4 Rem/yr. The dict sti
contained fish and some imported food, but more local terrestrial foods were growi

on the island and the data clearly indicated use of these foods by the residents.
3. -A reassessment of dose estimates based upon all collected radiological data

to that time, and upon updated information on diet, was made early in 1977.
These predictions indicated that even if use of local foods grown on Bikini Islan

were restricted to coconut, the whole body doses of residents may still be as)
high as 16 Rems in 30 years, Of this dose, external radiation accounts for about

3 Rems which leaves little additional dose from internal emitters if the 5 Rem
Standard is not to be exceeded. Note:
these results differ from earlier calcula
tions primarily because much larger amounts of coconut and coconut milk are in
the assumed diet pattern for these later estimates.
Revision of the dietary
pattern was based upon new information.
This more recent dose estimate exceeds
the 5 Rem/30 yrs and the 0.5 Renm/yr standards, and keeping exposure this low de‘pends critically upon restraint in the use of locally grown foods which body burtala

den data indicate is not being excrcised.

By comparison, the predicted whole bod

dose for use of Eneu as a village island with no ‘restrictions on eating foods gre

on that island, was 4:2 Rem/30 yrs.

This meets the 30 year standard and is far b

Jow the annual standard for exposure of the individual.

4, Sampling for plutonium in air on Bikini Island has shown very low levels.
Sampling of food and drinking water for plutonium indicates that the pathway
giving the greatest intake is marine foods.
The collection of urine for plutoMium analysis has given results for which there is not a lot of confidence at
this time. At the expected plutonium levels, large volume urine samples from individuals are needed which are difficult to collect, and at these low levels, eve:
a trace amount of extrancous dirt can contaminate the sawple. Data reported in
1976 indicated Bikini Island residents urine plutonium levels are onty about ten

times those of New York City residents. The organ likely to receive the highest
dose is bone for which the standard is 1.5 Rem/yr.
It vould not appear the plutonium at Gilini Island is a significant contributor to dose, but efforts to obtain sufficient velimne of shipboard c@ellected "clean" urine samples from indi-

viduals fo confimmthis are CONTI NWI ng.

As results of additional radiological surveys and dose assessments have hecome available. these have been provided to PO] and briclines on important find-

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