EVENT AND DESCRIPTION OF EXPOSED GROUPS

a. The estimated durations of fallout which

result from the above extrapolation ofinitial
fallout rate for Group I and III appear too
long to have occurred at the distances of
these people from the shot island, since the

wind velocity in the area was high enough
to move the cloud over the islands in a
considerably shorter time, as little as onehalf of the above indicated time.
. Theaccounts of the visibility of the fallouts,
although conflicting, do not indicate such
late cessation.
Doses calculated on a long fallout constant
rate of increase hypothesis are lower than
those due to a short fallout, since a short
fallout quickly deposits a large amqunt of
activity. For both a 16 hour and 8 hour
fallout assumption, a dose value was estimated. The ranges are then as follows:
Table 1.2

Locattox

| eam
|

|

Rongelap (Group I).._.-- |
Ailinginae (Group IT} _- --|
Rongerik (Group ITI)_...;
Utirik (Group IV)_..__.. |

18he

159 r
72r
70r
Wri!

&hr

209 r
92r
106 r
i5r

On Rongerik (Group IIT) a set of film badge
readings were obtained which constitute the
ouly direct evidence of total dose. Several
badges worn both outdoors and inside lightly
constructed buildings on the island read
about 50 to 65 r, and one badge which remained outdoors over the 28.5 hour period
read 98 r. Another group of badges, kept
indoors inside a steel refrigerator, read 38 r.
These dose values represent a variety of

conditions, but, considering the shielding
and attenuation factors, are consistent with
the assumption that the dose outside during
the first 28.5 hours after the beginning of
the fallout corresponded to about 12 hours
of constant fallout.

7

d. For Utirik atoll Group IV, only a fallout
time of about 12 hours or less is consistent
with the later dose rates observed, provided
the fallout actually began as late as was
estimated from wind and distance factors.
e. A long fallout probably would not be uniformly heavy throughout, the first portion
being the most intense and the balance decreasing with time. The total phenomenon

would thus tend toward the effect of: a

shorter fallout.

This is supported by moni-

tor data from other nuclear events, where

initially heavy fallout is reported to produce
a peak of air-borne radioactivity soon after
arrival, with the airborne activity level then
decreasing. The latter part of the fallout,
though still detectable as dust, may then

produce only a small fraction of the total
dose from material on the ground. Hence
the total dose may be estimated fairly accurately by assuming a constant fallout to
have been complete in a much shorter
“affective’’ time.
.

The dose values given in Table 1.1, based on

film badge, meter and monitor data, are consistent with a constant fallout hypothesis of

about 12 hours effective time.*

One exception

is made; the dose values for (rroup IIT are about

75 percent of the 12 hourfallout value, averaged

for 28.5 and 34 hour exposures. This was felt
to express most accurately the average uir dose
received by personnel who spent roughly half
their time inside structures where the dose rate

‘was later found to be roughly half that out-

doors. On the otherislands such shielding was
not available.
Figure 1.3, illustrates the cumulation of
radiation dose as a function of time after deto-

nation. The dose rate varied continuously.
The major portion of radiation was received at
the higher close rate prevailing in the early portion of the exposure period. By the time that
sgl

*Using 12 hours actually resiits in values which are
higher than these of Table 1.1 by 4 to Lor, Tale Lt
listing the values calculated before ail spectrum data
was available.

Uneertainty in all the infucmation is

grenter than this difference, which is neglected.

Select target paragraph3