THE NORTHERN MARSHALL ISLANDS RADIOLOGICAL SURVEY: RADIONUCLIDE CONCENTRATIONS
IN FISH AND CLAMS AND ESTIMATED DOSES VIA THE MARINE PATHWAY
ABSTRACT
A radiological
survey was conducted
in 1978 to assess
the concentrations
of persistent manmade radionuclides at 12 atolls and 2 islands in the Northern
Marshall
Islands.
The
survey consisted,
in part,
of an aerial
radiological
reconnaissance to map the external gamma-ray exposure rates over the atolls or
islands.
As
a
secondary
phase
of
the
survey,
shore
parties
collected
terrestrial and marine samples to assess the radiological dose from pertinent
food chains to current or potential atoll inhabitants.
Over 5000 terrestrial
and marine samples were collected for radionuclide analysis from 76 different
islands.
Here
we
present
the
assessment methodology
2
+
38, u,
and
239 24054,
clam muscle
except
Bikini
marine
as
well
and
241 an,
tissue
from
and
as
and
the
any
the
Enewetak.
radionuclide concentrations
sample
collection,
:
concentration
of
the
different
Doses
other
species
are
processing,
9
data
gamma
for
.
in fish and clam muscle
°c, >
emitters
collected
calculated
and
from
at
dose
137
:
in
all
the
Cc Ss,
.
fish
atolls
average
tissue at each atoll or
island assuming an average daily intake of 200 to 10 g, respectively.
The 700, concentration in muscle tissue is very low (for the most part
undetectable)
from
the
and
there
different
is
fish
little
from
concentration in the muscle
than
that
in
pelagic
difference
different
atolls
tissue of all
lagoon
fish.
In
in
reef
the
or
average
islands.
species,
contrast,
137¢.
concentrations
The
however,
2394240,
is
higher
concentrations
are
lowest in the muscle tissue of the bottom-feeding reef species such as mullet
and goatfish and highest in pelagic lagoon fish.
Recent measurements of radionuclide concentrations in fish muscle tissue
and other marine dietary items
from a variety of national
and
international
sources compared with our analysis of radionuclide concentrations in fish from
the Marshall Islands show that the average concentrations in species from the
Marshall Islands are comparable to those in fish typically consumed as food in
the United
States and are generally
marine dietary items.
lower
than
those
in most
international