7k
in adults and 22 nCi in children, about 6 and 11%

respectively of the maximum permissible lifetime
bodv-burden levels for the population atlarge.Le.,

4o the ICRP value.16? Analyses of bone samples
from several autopsies during the past 20 years

gave estimated 9°Sr body burdenssimilar to those
obtained from urinalysis (see Figure 57). 137Cs
body burdens also reached their peak in about
1965, at nearly 0.7 uCi (23% of the permissible

level for the general population). The body burdens of the Utirik people were considerably below
those of the Rongelapese. Table 42 shows that the
estimated bone marrow doses of Rongelap people
from internal and external sources (both natural
and man-maderadioactivity) were considerably

reduced by 1974, and presents data also for Utirik
and Bikini.*

The coconut crab was banned frorn the diet on
Rongelap because ofits high level of radioactivity,
but about 2 years ago the ban waslifted on the

southern islands of the atoll because the radioactivity had decreased sufficiently (see Table 40).
B. ‘*Fe BODY BURDENS IN RONGELAPESE

In 1971 blood samples from 62 Rongelapresidents were analyzed** for 55Fe, and their body
burdens were estimated by the method of Beasley
et al.170 55Fe was knownto be present in the Marshall Islands in fairly high levels as a result of the
*Mr. R. Fairchild at BNL calculated the bone marrow dose

for the 1974 data

“*The “Fe analyses were carried out by T.M. Beasley and

E.E, Held at che University of Washington School of Fisheries,
Seattle.
°

Tabie 43
Average Body Burdens of 55Fe in Rongelapese, 1971170

Males

Females

Age

No. of
samples

Body burden,
pCi

16~20
21-31
32-42
43-53
54-64
>64

8
4
3
2
6
3

0.31
0.33
0.52
0.58
0.53
0.48

16-20
21-31
_ 32-42
43-53
54-64
>64

6
12
5
7
2
2

0.23
0.34
0.33
0.66
0.57
0.66

local nuclear testing program and also from worldwide fallout, and to be concentrated by marine

life, particularly fish. The estimated body burdens .

for the Marshallese tested (Table +3) are higher
than those found for Japanese bomb survivors and

for others tested, but they are not more than “oo
of the maximum permissible levels for non-occu-

. pationally exposed individuals estimated with the

total body as the critical organ. The values are

slightly higher in females than in males, and significantly higher in older persons. °5Fe emits photons ofvery low energy, and,sinceit is incorporated
into the hemoglobin ofthe red cells, it results in
relatively little irradiation of nucleated cells. Some

blood samples from the 1974 survey are also being
analyzed for *5Fe.

C. PERSONNEL MONITORING AT BIKINI
In 1946, before Operation Crossroads, theresi-

dents were evacuated from Bikini. After stavs at

Rongerik and at Kwajalein which proved unsatisfactory, they were relocated on Kili Island in the

southern Marshalls, which also proved unsatisfactory. The Eniwetok people were relocated at
Ujelang Atoll, to the west, after their evacuation.
After the 1958 moratorium on atmospheric nu-

clear testing, numerous radiological surveys were
done on Bikini and later on Eniwetok Atoll. 171-174
In 1967 the principal isotopes contributing to the
gammaradiationfield on Bikini and EneuIslands
were 437Cs, 6Co,125Sb, and 155Eu;slight amounts
of Pu were also found. Considerable variation was
seen in the contamination ofindividual islands
comprising the atolls of Bikini and Eniwetok since

different tests had been conducted on various ones.
The contamination of Rongelap and Utirik was
more uniform, being due largely to fallout from a
single detonation, Bravo.
In 1968 an ad Ave committee reviewed the survey results for Bikini and decided that Eneu and
Bikini Islands were safe for habitation, with certain measures recommendedto reduce exposure

(see Appendix 13). In 1969 about 30 people started

work on Bikini Atoll (living on Eneu), and in 1971

several Bikini families moved back to Bikini Island
itself, which now has about 50 Bikini people plus
a few administrators and construction workers.
Annual monitoring of personnel has been carried

out since 1969. In 1974 radiochemical analyses

were done on urine (see Table 37 and Appendix
12) and other samples, whole-body gammaspectroscopy was carried out on personnel living on

Select target paragraph3