The potential health hazard via the
The island of YVONNE presents a
unique hazard on Enewetak Atoll. Pure plutonium particles are present on or closeto
the ground surface, randomly scattered in
"hot spots" over most of the area from the
inhalation pathway is sufficiently great
to dictate two basic alternatives for
remedial action for this island: (1) Make
the entire island an exclusion area — off
limits to all people, or (2) conduct a
tower to CACTUS crater. Examination of
these "hot spots" has revealed the presence
of occasional milligram-size pieces of plu-
cleanup campaign which will eliminate
the hot-spot’ plutonium problem and
tonium metal, as well as smaller pieces
remove whatever amount of soil is
which are physically indistinguishable in
necessary to reduce the soil plutonium
size from the surrounding coral matrix.
concentration to a level comparable to
Giventhese current conditions, it must be
other northern islands.
assumed that pure plutonium particles of
of the volumes of soil involved, removal
As an indication
respirable size are now also present onthe
of a 10-cm-thick layer of topsoil in the
surface or may be present in the future as
area in which "hot spots'' have been
weathering effects oxidize and break down
detected involves approximately 17,000
the larger particles. Lung dose assess-
m? of material.
ments for this area, therefore,
to reduce the maximum plutonium con-
must be
Further removal of soil
based on inhalation of pure plutonium
tamination levels to 50 pCi/g or less
particles rather than those having the av-
involves an additional 25,000 m_
erage plutonium content of the soil.
material.
Table 242.
of
Relative contributions of terrestrial foods to the integral dose assuming
diet at time of return,
Percentage of total 5-yr
Food item
A.
Island group
13'Cs dose
whole body
905, dose
to bone
13% 65 dose
whole body
ALICE-IRENE
Domestic meat
B.
806, dose
to bone
Percentage of total 10-yr
98.9
100
43.9
46.9
Pandanus fruit
26. 8
24.7
Breadfruit
23.1
21,1
Wild birds
0.65
<0. 08
0. 29
0. 04
Bird eggs
0, 24
<0. 008
0.11
0. 004
Arrowroot
1.3
0. 20
Coconut meat
3.9
6.2
Coconut milk
0. 57
0. 93
Island group BELLE
Domestic meat
100
100
44,2
47.1
Pandanus fruit
27.0
24.6
Breadfruit
23.2
21.1
Arrowroot
1. 4
0. 20
Coconut meat
.9
.2
Coconut milk
0.58
0. 92
II-6]