Acute and chromic mtakesof fallout radionuclides @ SL Simow er av
5-16 y and 48% from ages <5 y (Harmset al 2010)
Lessard et al (1985) made the first detailed and meth-
odologically traceable estimates of internal and external
doses to the Rongelap and Ailinginae groups usmg the
excretion data of Harris (1954) and other mformation, im
particular, life style mformation on the Marshallese
summarized by Sharp and Chapman (1957) Other mvestigators, primarily from the medical and health research
community, later cited the estimates of Lessard et al
(1985), as that analysis was the most thorough at that
time and the best documented All of the aforementioned
dose assessment reports mistakenly assumed that the
LASL pooled urme samples mcluded urme from children
(Harris et al 2010)
In 2004, the National Cancer Institute (NCD esti-
mated for the first trme external and mternal doses to
residents ofall atolls from all nuclear tests conducted in
the Marshall Islands (DCEG 2004)
However, m that
analysis, many simplifymg assumptions were made and
the dose estrmates were conservative so as not to underestimate the cancer risks This publication and its companion papers (Ibralum et al 2010, Beck et al 2010,
Bouville et al 2010, Moroz et al 2010, Harms et al
2010, Land et al 2010) provide a comprehensive description of an rmproved analysis and provide complete
descriptions of methodologies used, as well as the fmdigs Srmon et al (2010) summarizes the mam findings
of all these papers and also provides tables of relevant
data ontests, radionuchdes, etc , used mall the papers
METHODS
The methodsdescribed 1m this section are those used
to estrmate (1) the acute mtakesthat took place during
the period of tme when fallout was bemg deposited at
189
Enewetak to Ujelang before the testmg period, they are
considered here to be permanentresidents of Ujelang
As mdicated m Beck et al (2010), it 1s estimated
that 20 nuclear tests deposited fallout of any consequence
m the Marshall Islands Yoke m 1948, Dog and Item m
1951, Mike and King in 1952, Bravo, Romeo, Koon,
Umion, Yankee, and Nectar m 1954, Zum, Flathead, and
Tewa m 1956, Cactus, Fir, Koa, Maple, Redwood, and
Cedar in 1958 Acute mtakes and corresponding doses
have been estimated for each of the 20 tests, the characteristics of which are presented in Srmon et al (2010,
Table 1) For the determinationof the mternal doses from
chromic mtakes among atoll population groups that were
not evacuated, the cumulative deposition from all tests m
each year was used for the mtake calculation
Sixty-three radionuchdes listed m Simon et al
(2010, Table 4) have been considered im the estimation of
acute mtakes and their correspondmg doses This group
of radionuclides was chosen based on screening est-
mates, usmg conservative mgestion dose factors, to
collectively have contributed at least 98% of the dose to
the organs of concern These screening calculations were
based on the relative deposition factors published by
Hicks (1981, 1984) Five long-lived radionuchdes (Fe,
Co, “Zn, “Sr, and 47Cs), which were detected m
whole-body and bioassay measurements conducted sev-
eral years after the Bravo test m 1954, were considered
for the estimation of chromic mtakes and corresponding
doses In addition, acute and chrome mtakes of 7°*+°Pu
were crudely estrmated based on retrospective measurements of cumulative Pu m soil samples The depositions
of “Pu and “Pu for specific tests, relative to '’Cs or
any other radionuchde, were not reported by Hicks
(1984) as that information1s still classified Intakes ofall
to the consumption oflocal aquatic andterrestrial foodstuffs mternally contammated with long-hved radionuchdes, (3) the annual and lifetime organ doses per umtt
above radionuclides were estimated for typical (representative) children subdivided mto 5 age groups (<1 y, 1-2
y, 3-7 y, 8-12 y, 13-17 y), as well as for representative
adults The estimated radionuchde mtakes were used as
the basis for estrmating organ doses
per umt chronic mtake
Twenty-six population groups are considered 1m this
work,they includethe permanent residentsofeach of the
Acute intakes
The methods used m this study for estimatmg acute
intakesoffallout radionuchdes were based on the following
eachatoll or soon afterwards, (2) the chromc mtakes due
acute intake, and (4) the annual and lifetime organ doses
20 atolls and reef islands (Ailmglaplap, Ailuk, Arno,
Aur, Ebon, Jaluit, Kwayalem, Lae, Lab Island, Likiep,
Mauro, Maloelap, Meyit Island, Mi, Namonk, Namu,
Ujae, Ujelang, Wotho, and Wotje) that were mhabited
during the 1948-1962testing period as well as six of the
seven communities or groups that were evacuated or not
resident on ther home atoll during at least part of the
tesung period [Ailmgmae, Bikim, Rongelap (two
groups), Rongenk, and Utrk] The seventh population
group consists of the people who were evacuated from
four steps (1) estrmation of the mtake of ‘I by adults on
Rongelap, Ailmginae, and Rongerk following the Bravo
test usmg Iustorical bioassay data, (2) estimation of the
intakes of 62 other radionuchdes considered m addition to
‘IT (Simon et al 2010, Table 4) by adults on Rongelap,
Ailmgmae, and Rongerik followmg the Bravo test, (3)
estrmation of the takes of the 63 radionuchdes by adults
on all mhabited atolls followmgall of the 20 tests that were
considered (Simonet al 2010, Table 1), and (4) estrmation
of the mtakes by children, relative to the intakes by adults