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.