,-’,
-3-
A.
{,
Whole-Body Countinq
To perform this analysis, tons of radiation-free lead brick
were shipped to the Marshalls and a “shadow shield” type counting facility
was set up in an air conditioned trailer and transported to the outer islands
on the ERDA vessel (LCU-LIKWR).
These measurements have been under the
direction of Dr. Stsnton Cohn at BNL.
Gaxmnaspectroscopy for
137
Cs wa~ carried out on individuals living at
Bikini and Rongelap in 1974.
presented in Table I.
in Appendix I.
The mean levels for these populations is
Individual data for the Bikini people is presented
Based on this direct bioassay counting technique the
137CS
levels of the Bikini inhabitants were about t of those of the Rongelap
people.
These values are well below the maximum permissible body burdens.
B.
Radiochemical Urine Analyses
These analyses have been carried out by the Health and Safety Laboratory of ERDA in New York City.
ad
me
mean urine levels of
137CS
s
9osr
9
239-240
Pu for inhabitants of Bikini and Rongelap, 1970 - 1976, are
summarized in Table II and individual data for the bikini people are presented in Appendix I.
Based on these data the
137
Cs urinary levels of the Bikini people were
about 1/3 those of the Rongelap people over the same period and this ratio
agreed reasonably well with that of the gamma spectrographic data in 1974.
90
Sr levels in the Bikini people over the past six years appear to
be about the same as noted in the Rongelap people.
239-240
Pu findings are shown in Table II.
Urine samples analyzed before
October, 1975 are not reported since the samples were too small and the
counting error too large for any reliable measurement of plutonium.
Nasal
swabs on 10 people, analyzed in 1974, were negative for plutonium.
Again,
however, there was probably insufficient material for analysis.
In October,