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Heutth Phase Vol WcSentembert. pp. t4S—407
Pergamon ress tou TYR
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WHOLE BODY COUNTING RESULTS
FROM 1974 TO 1979 FOR BIKINI
ISLAND RESIDENTS*
R. P. MILTENBERGER, N. A. GREENHOUSE and E. T. LESSARD
Safety and Environmental Protection Division. Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton,
NY 1L'973
(Received 1 Mav 1979; uccepted 10 December 1979)
Abstract—Three bodv burden measurements of the Bikini Island population were con-
ducted from 1974 to 1978 at Bikini Island. During this time, the mean |'Cs body burden
of the adult Bikini population increased by a factor of 20. This dramatic elevation of the
body burden uppeurs to be solely attributable to increased avatlabilitv of locally grown
food products, specifically coconuts and coconut plant products. In January 1979, 45% of
the individuals that were whole body counted in April 1978 were recounted approx. [45
davs after the Bikini [sland population departed from Bikini Atoll. These results show
that the adult population '’Cs bodv burden decreased by a factor of 2.9 between the
a
Apri 1978 and January 1979 in vivo measurements.
INTRODUCTION
BIKINI ATOLL was one area used by the U:S.
Government to test nuctear weapons from
1946 to 1958. Prior to commencement of the
testing program, all Bikini Atoll inhabitants
were moved first to Rongerik Atoll and then
finally to Kili Island. On 1 March 1954 a
thermonuclear device. code named Bravo,
was detonated at Bikini Atoll.
The radioactive cloud from this test moved
eastward depositing fallout on several of the
Northern Marshail Island Atolls: Bikini Atoll
(all Marshallese inhabitants had been moved),
Conard et al. who for the past 24 years has been
responsible for the ongoing medical surveillance of the inhabitants living on the contaminated atolls, those Marshallese who were
initially exposed to the fallout and have been
moved, and to a control Marshallese population.
The medical history by R. A. Conard included total body burden measurements of
radioactive material inhaled or ingested by
the Marshallese. This work was performed by
Cohn et al. (Coh63: Con75).
Rehabilitation efforts of Bikini Atoll began
in 1969 which required persons to reside on
Bikini Island. By April 1978. the population
Rongelap with 64 people, Ailinginae with 18
people, Rongerik with 28 people and Utirik
with 157 people. The Japanese fishing boat
Fukurju-Muru (Lucky Dragon) with 23
fishermen aborad was also contaminated
(Con75).
The exposure of individuals to radioactive
numbered
Trust Territory plus other Bikini families who
found their way back via Trust Territory
trade ships. This population remained on
Bikini Island until they were relocated in
fallout 6-24 hr post detonation of “Bravo”
resulted in external total body gamma dose
equivalents ranging from 20 to 200 rem (Con
75). This incident initiated the involvement of
*Research carried out under the auspices of the
U.S. Dept. of Energy under Contract DE-AC0276C H00016.
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138 persons and consisted of
caretakers and agriculturalists employed by the
August 1978 to Kili Island in the southern
Marshalls and to Ejit Island, Majuro Atoll.
During the rehabilitation and repopulation
years, the medical services provided by
Conard and the Brookhaven Medical Team
were expanded to include sick call and body
burden
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