ceding the BRAVO contamination, water from cisterns was rationed to "one pint
cup per person each day” (Sh57), or (assuming US liquid measure) 470 cm? of
water per person per day. This water was used to make tea and coffee and was directly ingested (Sh57).
Naidu,
in the late 1970s, observed an average intake of
about 1000 cm
of coconut water per day for adults, 800 cm for adolescents, and
500 cm? for l- to 3-year-old children (Na80).
In addition, the Marshallese
consumed coconut tree sap, about 700 cm per day for adults, 600 cu for adolescents, and 400 cm? for l= to 3-year-old children (Na80). Not including the
water intake from ingested food and by oxidation of food, a 70-kg adult would ingest 2000 om per day of fluids and a 10-year-old child 1400 cm? per day in
order to balance normal water losses in a temperate climate (ICRP74).
Therefore, it is likely that each person drank most of his or her daily cistern
water ration of 470 omiin order to maintain water balance. People reported
that they drank this water despite the off taste and color produced by fallout
contamination (Sh57).
We assumed that 150 cm? of water was taken with each meal. At
Ronge lap Island, this was assumed to occur at 5.5 (lunch), 12 (dinner), 24
(breakfast), 30 (lunch), 38 (dinner), and 50 (breakfast) hours post-detonation.
We have found no report to indicate that rationing was necessary at Sifo or
Utirik Island. Based on water balance, it was assumed that one pint per person
per day was the cistern water intake at these islands as well. We assumed that
the 150-cm) intake of water with meals occurred at Sifo Island at the same meal
times assumed for Rongelap Island and at 57 hours (lunch) post-detonation as
well. At Utirik, we assumed that the 150-cm? mealtime cistern water intake
occurred at 24, 31, 38, 50, 57, 64, and 76 hours post-detonation. Evacuation at
Utirik was completed at 78 hours post-detonation (0C68).
These assumed cistern
water intakes led to estimates of ingested radioiodine activity which are
tabulated in Table 15.
The values in Table 15 represent a conservative estimate of
radioiodine activity intake from this pathway since we assumed that all activity
in the liquid phase was due only to iodine isotopes. Typically, 50 to 80% of
the radioiodine would settle out of cistern water along with a good portion of
the total fallout activity. Given the range of measured beta activity in each
cistern on Rongelap on March 31, 1954, we estimate an upper Limit to drinking
water intake at twice the values in Table 15. The upper limit estimate is about
4% of the expected intake if one compares to the urine derived intake estimate.
We did not consider further refinement of the cistern water pathway leading to
radioiodine intake, since the result would be not an increase in the iodine in- |
take, but rather a decrease.
Thus, we would not achieve the boundary condition
that iodine in urine at day-17 be accounted for.
ce.
Activity in Food.
Preparation and consumption of food in the open
was, and still is, a common practice among the Marshallese people; therefore,
fallout was ingested directly with food. Persons interviewed at Rongelap indi-
cate that food had a strange taste (like cement) just prior to the 1954 evacuation (Sh57). Fallout had the appearance of table salt and flour, taro powder or
chalk dust, and blackened the sky as if night were approaching (Sh57). One fam
ily group reported to Sharp that the only food not dusted by fallout was coconut
meat and milk (Sh57). Most families reported eating in the usual outdoors style
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