Table 17 represents the exposure rate at each pattern of activity as listed

in Table 16 calculated assuming 100% occupancy for Rongelap Atoll,

Table 18

presents an estimate of the exposure rate for each age group, weighted by the
percent of time spent in each area for inhabitants of Rongelap Atoll based on
the Lawrence Livermore lifestyle Model (3,4).

Summation of the exposure rates in

each area provides the average exposure rates to the Rongelapese.

Using the average hourly exposure rates, the long term external dose was calculated.

These data, presented in Table 9 for Rongelap Atoll, have been cor-

rected for background (terrestrial and cosmic) radiation by using the average
exposure rate of Wotje and Ailuk Atolls as a representative sample of the normal
(unexposed) Marshall Island environment.
We feel that this is a very conservative estimate for Rongelap Atoll since
the people rately visit the more heavily contaminated islands in the north, and
tend to restrict their “other islands" visits to the southern sector where exposure
rates are similar to that on Rongelap Island itself.

This observation was supported

by an independent living pattern assessment from which data became available in
the fall of 1977 (5).
Specific living pattern information for Rongelap was obtained on a field trip
in October 1977 (5).

This information is presented in Table 20,

It should be

noted that as previously mentioned, the Rongelap "lifestyle" involves very little
time away from Rongelap Island where a constant exposure rate-of 7.3 uR/hr is
assumed.

Revised external dose predictions based on the observed Rongelap living

pattern are given in Tables 21, 22 and 23.

These doses include corrections for

physical decay for 137 Gg and ®9¢o which are responsible for >99% of the total
external exposure rate above background.

The cesium and cobalt ratios were obtained

using the averages of soil sample activities from analyses by BNL (6) and the
University of Washington (LRE)

(7).

It was assumed for this assessment that no

radionuclide loss mechanisms are operative other than physical decay.

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