a 7 Ss AS 50 . peut TC Aaee? we ane “4 ot * RIL te eos moe vr eRe he RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF AREAS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN FROM NUCLEAR TESTS Table 48 indicates that the average concentration of strontium—-90 in the total food supply might be less than 360 Sunshine Units. (The data on land crabs shown in Table 48 are from the Island of Kabelle which is more heavily contaminated than the Island of Rongelap).* Table 48—Estimates of Contamination of the Normal Food Supply of Rongelapese A B 1 . 4 DaiLy INTAKE Pounbs/ | PERSON 7 Dav} Fish 2. 22. - 2-2 ene nen en ee ee ee eee | 0.36 ATTOWTOOt_ +. -- wee ee ee eee wen nneee 0. 09 Land crabs. . 2.0.22 22 2--e ee oe eee eee eee + 0.03 i Clams......--2--------2--2-eee n-ne eno ce cee eee e eee cette ee | Wild birds (muscle). ..--...----.--.---- 12 --- eee ne | [| ; \ Ty | Coconut meat and milk... .._--...--.-----.-------++- +e --- eee Bread fruit. ..--.-.-------2---- 202 t eee once eee n eee Imported: | 1! id Rice... 222-22 eee eee eee eee ee Flour. .--..-.--2--.---2- 2-22-22 nee ene eee een ce ene cee eee Canned beef____--....-----.--------- 2220-222 eee eee ene Mlk... 2.222122. - ee een eee ee eee | i “4 ' | i, 1.22 Pandanus.....-... 2-22 2.22eee-eeeeeeeee ee seen eee voeee eens Sardines. ...---.- 20-22 eee ee ee ee = Shoyu... 2.2.20 eee eee ee eee Coffee... 0.2 ee ee ee eee TeS_. ee ee eee 0.1 0.09 0.02 0.01 0.1 Cc Catcium CONTENT (gms Ca/gm wet weight) BD Daiiy IxTAKE OF Ca! (gms) 0. 001 FRACTION or Tota Ca INTAKE 0. 56 0.001 E F |STRONTIUM-90 CONTENT ConTEIBUTION To 5Rx INTAKE (8. U.)« 6. 645 12 0.16 0. 184 + 500 4 0, 0006 0. 025 0. 029 250 0.004 0.055 0. 004 0.018 0. 6001 0. 004 0. 0004 0. 0006 ~0, 0001 0. 021 5 0. 0046 ~0. 045 0.11 7. 26 61.38 40 260 0. 02 0.88 + © (4000) ~0. 046 Fow 0. 0016 0. 0034 273 692.0 300 0. 063 0. 004 0.003 (Ss. U.) (CoLUMN DX E) (252. 0) Small « Average values. iy: a! . 4 These data are from island of Kabelle (no date from island of Rongelap for July 1956 survey). Ceneral contamination of island of Rongclap Is about one-fifth that of Kabelle. Lagoon water around these islands do not show as great a difference in activity. * Thesa are land crabs from island of Kabelle. The strontium-90 concentration is higher than from earlier surveys, which 1s contrary to the plant activity as well as to the soil, and marine life data. (It bas been estimated that about one-third of the intake of crab meat is from ocean crabs which have very little strontium-90 content.) 4 Estimated. « An unknown part of this intake may be sea crabs (which contain considerably Jess Sr} but is assumed here to be all land crabs. | | j i | | 4 However,if crabs were eliminated from the diet, the intake might average about 107 Sunshine Units. Further, elimination or restriction of the consumption of pandanus would reduce the strontium~—90 intake to well under 100 Sunshine Units. | | b. Estimated Future Body Burden of Strontium— | i} . . . Three principal factors are operative in estiwhich is contrary to all other data. Additional surveys should clarify this point, In any event the land crabs tested are from the island of Kabelle. (There were no collections of land crabs made on Rongelap (2) If the Rongelapese were returned to their homeisland, their diet would be supplemented by imported (relatively uncontami. P especially ( nated) foods, rice.y Also, the cisterns : would be cleaned out and : refilled with fresh. water as well as having new cisterns built. . . . . Island during the last survey.) The general contamination on Rongelap is about one-fifth that of Kabelle. The difference in strontium-90 con- (3) D espite the wide variances in the data, analysis of the results from all of the surveys be expected those on Rongelap Island to be lower than on Kabetle Island. on the Pacific Islands shows a general decline wd — a or 2 tent may not be as great as this, but since these are land crabs !t would a: i *There is some doubt concerning the correct strontium-90 activity in the land crabs, since the values are higher than for previous surveys Coe Li 90 e3 : mating the future body burden of strontium-90 of the Rongelapese: (1) Although precise values have not been established, there may be a discriminatory factor of several between Sr/Ca ratio in the food supply and that found in the bones.** 7