checkpoints under the supervision of the TG 7.1 Control Officer.

In se

eral cases, the Control Officer is reported to have posted additional m

n-

itors on lightly contaminated islands to advise working parties of cond
tions and to ensure that all workers wore the proper protective clothin
All personnel entering moderately or heavily contaminated areas were re

ported to be accompanied by a trained monitor and the personnel were
badged.

Records do not indicate the exposure levels that defined "“ligh

"moderate," or “heavy" contamination.
were maintained at the checkpoints.

Cumulative personnel dose record
Each center maintained current rad

logical situation maps of the atoll, so that the accompanying monitor c
advise the party leader of the allowable stay time in any area.

In lig

contaminated areas only foot protection was required (Figure 18), but i

more heavily contaminated areas fuller covering was provided.

This rad

protective clothing was of cloth or plastic material with tight closure
around the wrists and ankles, and also the neck if it did not fully cov
the head.

Although these clothes did not protect the wearer from gamma

neutron radiation, the layer of cloth did protect from beta radiation.
Their function was to trap emitting particles, which would lodge in the
cloth instead of on the wearer's skin.

This made decontamination much

easier and also prevented the inadvertent transport of the contaminated
Particles back to the base areas.

Respirators were sometimes worn with

these protective garments to prevent the wearer from inhaling radioactit
Particles.

Figure 19 shows three different types of protective suits.

Figure 20 shows the suits being worn during instrument recovery operatidns
on a contaminated island.

Checkpoints were also established aboard the Bairoko and at the air:
strip on Parry Island.

Aircraft departing on missions into highly cont

inated areas had their interiors lined with paper.

Upon return, the pa

liners were removed and the interiors decontaminated using brushes and

er
n=

dustrial-type vacuum cleaners.
One report (Reference 17, p.

58)

noted that “everyone and everyening

in the northern Marshall Islands had become radiologically contaminated to

128

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