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]