67
N-11
Diet.
The major uncertainty in estimating the dose is
diet - no one knows precisely what it is. Two efforts have
made to delineate it. The first by Naidu et al (1980) (BNL
was based on living experiences over the years on various No
Marshallese Atolls and clearly demonstrated the effects of 1i
patterns on it. Rongelap fell into their B class, one in whi
there was a low availability of local foods (excepting fish),
overpopulation, and a good supply of imported foods (supply
comes in regularly, say, every three weeks). Naidu et al re
the quantities of food prepared, but emphasized that they di
know how auch was eaten. In any event, Robison and DOE-1982
this estimate as the maximum level of consumption for a popu
The MLSC diet was elaborated by M. Pritchard of the Mic
Legal Services Corporation in 1979 when he visited the Enewe
people for 2.5 weeks on Utirik Atoll (Robison et al, 1982a,
UCRL-83835). His diets assumed that the supply ship came re
making it possible for the people to eat relatively large an
imported foods (rice, flour, sugar, canned goods, etc.), or
ship did not come at all. Robison selected the adult female
subgroup of the population for calculation because its consu
was greatest.
DOE-1982 took this calculation for the minima
of contaminated-food consumption.
For the MLSC diet it has been found that cesiusg-137 acc
for about 95% of the whole-body dose and 85% of the bone mar
dose.
Strontiua-90 accounts for 5% and 15%, respectively, a
transuranics for less than 1% during the first 70 years.
Wh
supply ship is on schedule, coconut accounts for 80% or so o
radionuclide intake.
In summary, then, DOE-1982 used the Naidu type B commuusi
diet for its dose calculations. When it wished to indicate
it used both the type B community (high) and the MLSC diet (
The diets are given in Table N-1l #1.
An additional fact about the preparation of fish is wor
noting. The skin and bones of fish may have 50-100 times t
strontium-90 specific activity of the meat. Also, the conte
the intestinal tract may be high. What is the effect of all
dosage? First, Noshkin et al (1981) found the strontiua-90
activities of all tissues to be below 1 pCi/g. Robison et
(personal communication, 1988), have confirmed this for aul
caught off the reef of Bikini Island (contamination levels
times those at Rongelap Island). Roast mullet and stewed m
were tested. For stew, neither the meat, nor broth, nor ski
bones exceeded .01 pCi per gram (Table N 11.# 2). The cooki
done by natives in the customary way (the intestines were
discarded).