38
satisfy the curiosity of research workers. But that is not the
here.
The work done would help the Rongelap people themselves,
results at the same time would also help others.
dase
dnd its
I expect the Rongelap people to receive routine medical carg.
would also expect certain groups of them to continue to be part ¢f
surveys for the appearance of cancer, to undergo blood tests thaf
physicians may consider to be important, and to help in providin
accurate records of vital statistics.
All of this cannot be donf
their physicians are allowed to examine them at regular intervalB
or not they feel ill.
5.5
But I
their
unless
whether
Rehabilitation of Soil
After the Rongelap people have settled on Rongelap Island,
reexamination should be made of the levels of contamination at
the other
principal islands of the atoll, for the reasons given in Note 1
At
present, the best estimate of their relative degrees of contamination is
obtained from a comparison of the external exposure rates determined by
aerial reconnaissance (Table 4.1 #1).
Based on the results of
e
resurvey of the atoll and a consideration of the field trials at] Bikini,
a long-term plan should be drawn up.
The methods now available to combat the radionuclide contamination
of soil are essentially two -- remove the upper layer of soil ig which
the contaminants concentrate, or treat the soil with potassium galts
which block its uptake by plants. A wariant of the latter is tq
soil with sea water. <A long-term plan might employ all three.
wash the
These methods have been under investigation at Bikini Atol]
for some
years (BARC 1987). Fig. 5.4 #1 illustrates for 4 coconut treesfon Eneu
Island (Bikini Atoll) how the application of potassium chloridejfto the
soil decreased the contamination of the coconuts. Fig. 5.4 #2
illustrates the results for Bikini Island where the contaminatifn is
about ten times as great.
Such treatment could be administered] to
islands of an intermediate level contamination in order to make[ them
habitable.
Their complete effectiveness against the highest lefels, such
as at Naen, is still under investigation, but a report on the mbtter
should become available by next year.