Journal Announcement: NSA14
Document Type: Book Analytic
Language: English
A unique opportunity for the study of the internal radiation hazard
associated with the contamination of an inhabited land mass by local
fall-out was afforded when several of the Marshall Islands were accidently
contaminated to varying degrees as a consequence of the nuclear detonation
of March 1. 1954. Two hundred and thirty-nine Marshallese persons were
exposed to levels of
gamma
radiation ranging from 14 r on Utirik to 175 r
on Rongelap. The inhabitants of Rongelap and Utirik were also subjected to
an acute inhalation and ingestion exposure during the 48-hr period that
elapsed prior to evacuation. Initial body burdens of internal emitters were
estimated from analysis of urine and also from data obtained on animals
simultaneously exposed. These data indicate that the acute hazard from the
internal emitters was very small as compared to the concomitant external
dose. Medical surveys have been made yearly during the five-year pericd
since the accident in order to follow up the recovery progress of the
exposed people. The most comprehensive studies were made at the end of one
and two years following the accident. Data were obtained on the residual
activity in soil and on the uptake and retention of fall-out material by
plaats and land and marine animals. These data form the basis for an
estimate of the radiation hazard associated with both acute and chronic
exposure to local fall-out. During the early period of time following the
contaminating accident Sr/sup 89/, Ba/sup 140/, I/sup 131/ the short-lived
iodine isotopes, and some of the rare-earth elements contributed the major
portion of the internal dose. After the first year,
Sr/sup 90/ contributed
the greatest dose and was the most critical fission product in regard to
interral hazard. Cs/sup 137/ and Zr/sup 65/ were also found in tissues in
small amounts. Body burdens of
gamma -emitting fission products, measured
by use of a whole-body counter, agreed closely with estimates made by
radiochemical analysis of urine specimens. Transitory changes in blood-cell
levels are the only pathological effect which has appeared during the
fiveyear period since the exposure to internally-deposited emitters from
fall-out.
Tabulated data are included.
29 references.
(C.H.)
Descriptors:
ACCIDENTS; ADSORPTION; ANIMALS; BARIUM 140; BIBLIOGRAPHY;
BLOOD CELLS; BODY; CESIUM 137; CONTAMINATION; COUNTERS; DISEASES; FALLOUT;
FISSION PRODUCTS; GAMMA RADIATION; HALF-LIFE; INGESTION; INHALATION; IODINE
131; LUNGS; MAN; MEASURED VALUES; MEDICINE; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; PLANTS;
POPULATIONS; QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS; QUANTITY RATIO; RADIATION DOSES;
RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOCHEMISTRY; RARE EARTHS; RECOVERY;
SOILS; STOMACH; STRONTIUM 89; STRONTIUM 90; TABLES; TISSUES; URINE;
VARIATIONS; ZIRCONIUM 95
Subject Codes (NSA): HEALTH AND SAFETY
10/5/188
139561
(Item 188 from file:
NSA-14-023116
109)
BEHAVIOR OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT AND AIR-MASSES AROUND JAPAN
Koike, R.
Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo
Papers Meteorol. and Geophys. (Tokyo)
Publication Date: 1960
5 p.
Journal Announcement: NSA14
v 11,
No.
™
1.
Document Type: Journal Article
Language: English
By analyzing the air masses covering Japan, the origin and the movement
of radioactive fall-out were determined. The fall-outs originating at
Bikini and in the Arctics were transported with the Ogasawara air mass and
the Siberia air mass, respectively. The fall-out in Southwest Siberia was
transported from the north with the Siberia air mass or from the west with
the strong westerlies. The fall-out discharged in the troposphere spreads
over a large area in the atmosphere after about three months travel from
its original site.
Subject Codes
10/5/189
138226
(auth)
(NSA):
GEOLOGY,
MINERALOGY,
(Item 189 from file:
NSA-14-021780
AND METEOROLOGY
109)
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