1

409878

>.4 Battelle
Tare

Pacific Northwest Laboratones
P.O). Box 999

Richlang, Washington U.s.A. 99352
Telephone (509)
folex 15-2874

July 1, 1982

Dr. Bruce W. Wachholz
Office of Environmental Protection,
Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Office of Operational Safety
Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20545
Dear Bruce:

The following pertains to the Epidemiology Research Institute Bikini
Report.

In Table 10, dose and risk values are given which are purported to be
those published by DOE, reference 2. Neither the dose or the risk
values are accurate representation of the values published by DOE.

The

"DOE" dose values in the table apparently have been reduced to account
for radioactive decay, although that is not stated. While the cancer
risk coefficients given are the BEIR-I values used by the DOE authors,
but rounded off, the doses are not. DOE chose to use the bone marrow
doses because they were slightly higher than the whole body doses and
thus were less likely to contribute to an underestimate of the risk.
The risk coefficient for genetic effects ascribed to DOE and the ERI
"recalculation" of DOE's estimate of genetic effects misrepresents DOE's
approach. The following shows DOE's recalculations using the DOE dose
values as reduced by ERI to account for radioactive decay. Numbers of
affected persons are given for the Bikini population of 550, as was done
in reference 2, and also for a base population of 1000 as was done by

ERI]. Numbers of affected persons are calculated using risk coefficients
from BEIR-1 as was done in reference 1 and also using risk coefficients
from BEIR-III for comparison with similar values in the ERI report.
Sincerely yours,

W. J. Bair, Ph.D.

REPOSITORY

Environment, Health and
Safety Research Program

COLLECTION

Manager

WJB: 1m

pox,

FSF

FOLDER

Bihan

19% 2

Attachment
DOCUMENT DOES NOTCONTAIN ECI

7 Ag

Reviewed pd

-

Sy?

foo 4

‘cee Lf Date M39 /

Select target paragraph3