The potential health hazard via the
The island of YVONNE presents a
unique hazard on Enewetak Atoll, Pure plu-
tonium particles are present on or closeto
to dictate two basic alternatives for
“hot spots” over most of the area fromthe
tower to CACTUS crater. Examination of
the entire island an exclusionarea — off
of occasional milligram-size pieces of plutonium metal, as well as smaller pieces
the "hot-spot"
the ground surface, randomly scattered in
remedial action for this island: (1) Make
limits to all people, or (2) conduct a
these "hot spots” has revealed the presence
cleanup campaign which willeliminate
plutonium.
lem and
removewhateveramountofsoilis
which are physically indistinguishable in
size from the surrounding coral matrix.
necessary to reduce the soil plutonium
it must be
Giventhese current conditions,RY
E
other northern islands,
respirable size are now also presentonthe
of a 10-cm-thick layer of topsoil in the
concentration to a level comparable to
As an indication
assumed that pure plutonium particles of
of the volumes of soil involved, removal
surface or may be present in the future as
area in which “hot spots" have been
weathering effects oxidize and break down
detected involves approximately 17, 000°
qe
- the larger particles. Lung dose assess-
m®* of material.
Further removalof soil
ments for this area, therefore, must be
to reduce the maximum plutonium con-
based on inhalation of pure plutonium
‘tamination levels to
particles rather than those having the average plutonium content of the soil.
i/gor less
involves an additional25,000m>of
vr. material.
e
‘
ff
The Task Group recognizes that the RODeae Atoll
are small and that the areas of highes
islands are smaller still.
close to the soil.
39Puin soil on these
On the other hand the people live
Itis also recognized that experts are not
in agreernent as to the critical organ for inhaled plutonium,
whether to use an average dose for this organ, or the model
to be used to predict dose. Itis the view of the Ta
ou
that available biological andenvironmental informationis —
not adequate to establish gegeral guidance for cleanup of
plutonium contaminated soil. However,
idance for a
°
-
4 K
a
umstances or conditions can be developed
on 2 case-by-case basis using conservative assumptions
andonly _safety
factor. Theguicance
folvang
iapagammended
for use in‘making decisions concerning plutonium cleanup
Ee
operations on islands of Enewetak Atoll:
1.
|
Any areas or locations where soil concentrations o
are greater than400 should receive corrective aetien
with contaminated soil removed for disposal.
“a
2.
" a~
BEST AVAILABLE COPY
Situations with soil le vels
in
i the 40
to 400 Ci/
receive corrective action wit
|
h eich6 1Sthtonsweln
tea
on,a case-by-case basis.
ane ee peewee eee
ee ee,
inhalation pathway is sufficiently great