RADIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATIONS IN SURFACE GROUNDWATER AT
RONGELAP, UTIRIK, LIKIEP, AILUK, MEJIT, WOTHO, AND UJELANG
Groundwater
salinities
shown
in Table 4 range
well sites sampled during the survey.
from 0.3
to
1
ppt
at
the
These salinities are sufficiently
low
so that this groundwater can be used for drinking if the need arises; however,
we do not know how these salinities may change with time.
It is difficult to assess the significance of the radionuclides detected
in
groundwater
simple
hole
liners
did
at
in
the
the
not
different
ground
extend
atolls.
On many
lined with wood,
above
the
islands,
metal,
ground
or
runoff,
a
the
concentrations
of
radionuclides
Most
human
traffic,
detected
of
surface
into the pit.
during
a
well
Concentrations
and other activity transporting contaminated debris
result,
well was
concrete.
surface.
radionuclides in the water will be affected by wind,
the
any
As
single
period may not necessarily reflect the long-term average concentrations or the
concentrations that might be observed if a lined well were extended above the
surface.
During
the
period
sampled,
most
groundwater
concentrations
were everywhere higher than the concentrations in cistern water.
concentrations of 90, exceeded
the
and Ailuk but were lower than the
and
Ujelang.
solution
Concentrations
were
everywhere
of
At
all
atolls,
the
levels
the
comparable
cistern water.
90¢,
and
levels
in cisterns at
137
or
Cs
less
in
than
Rongelap,
filtered
the
concentrations
1376,
Groundwater
Likiep,
in cistern water at Utirik,
transuranics
to
of
Wotho,
groundwater
concentrations
in
groundwater
in
are
below the EPA recommended concentration guidelines for drinking water. 14
RADIOLOGICAL DOSE ASSESSMENT OF INGESTION OF ATOLL WATER SUPPLIES
Radiological
and
groundwater.
doses
are
Although
calculated
the
for
preferred
source
latter is used in cases of severe drought.
sources,
the
intake
of
of water
both
is
cistern water
the
former,
the
By calculating the doses for both
the dose from any annual intake combination can be readily determined.
14