50
RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION OF AREAS IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN FROM NUCLEAR TESTE
data on land crabs shown in Table 48 are from
the Island of Kabelle which is more heavily
contaminated than the Island of Rongelap).*
Table 48 indicates that the average concentration of strontium—90 in the total food supply
might be less than 360 Sunshine Uaits. (The
Table 48—Estimates of Contamination of the Normal Food Supply of Rongelapese
A
B
Dany
INTAKE
Pounps/
Day/
PERSON
Fish. 2.222222 2-2-2 nee eee ene ne eee et eee
Wild birds (muscle)... . 0-2. - 22-2 eee nee eee een eee
Land crabs... -- 2-222. eee nee eee eee
Coconut meat and milk_
Bread fruit. _..-.--2-0- 2-2-2 - 2 eee eee eee eee eee eee
Imported:
Rice... eee ne eee ee eee ee tee eee eee
Flour...
Canned beef_
Miuk......--Sardines...
Shoyu_-..Coffee. ...------.---------i:
1, 22
Cc
Cacrom
Content
(gms Ca/gm
Wet weight)
0.001
D
Dany InTAKE OF Ca}
(gms)
0. 56
0, 001
0, 004
€ 0. 0006
0.16
0. 018
0. 025
0. 02
0.01
0.0004
0, 0006
0. 004
0. 003
0.1
0. 0001
0. 004
~. 0001
F
Conrkisu-
0. 36
a1
0. 08
0.09
*0.03
Ez
0.004
0. 055
~0. 045
Fraction |[STRONTIOM-90
oF TOTAL
ConrtENtT
Ca INTAKE
(8. D.)e
0. 645
0. 184
0.021
0. 028
0.0046
0. 063
0. 0046
0. 0034
~0. 046
12
6 §00
5
250
TI0oN To
82”
INTAKE
8. U.)
(Coumn
X E)
7.73
492.0
0.11
7.26
300
+ © (4000)
e138
(252. 0)
Few
Small
40
260
0.02
0.88
« Average values.
+ These data are from island of Kabelle (no date from island of Rongelap for July 1956 survey). Genera) contamination of island of Rongelap is
about one-fifth that of Kabelle. Lagoon water around these islands do not shew as great a difference in activity.
« These are land crabs from island of Kabelle. The strontium-90 concentration ts higher than from earlier surveys, which is contrary to the plant
activity as well as to the soil, and marine life data. (It has been estimated that about one-third of the intake of crab meat is from ocean crabs which
have very little strontium-90 content.)
é Estimated.
¢ An unknown partof this intake may be sea crabs (which contain considerably less Sr) but is assumed here to be all land crabs.
However,if crabs were eliminated from the diet,
the intake might average about 107 Sunshine
Units. Further,elimination or restriction of the
consumption of pandanus would reduce the
strontium—90 intake to well under 100 Sunshine
Units.
oR eZ
CAS aeiaoy
b. Estimated Future Body Burden of Strontwum—
90
Three principal factors are operative in esti*There ja some doubt concerning the correct strontium-90 activity in
the land crabs, since the values are higher than for previous surveys
which is contrary to all other data. Additional surveys should clarify
this point. In any event the land crabs tested are from the island of
Kabelie, (There were no collections of land crabs made on Rongelap
Island during the last survey.) The genera! contamination on Rongelap
is about one-fifth that of Kabelle. The difference in stronttum-90 content may not be as great as this, but since these are Jand crabs it would
be expected those on Rongelap Island to be jower than on Kabelle Island,
mating the future body burden of strontium-90
of the Rongelapese:
(1) Although precise values have not been
established, there may be a discriminatory
factor of several between Sr/Ca ratio in the
food supply and that found in the bones.”
.(2) If the Rongelapese were returned to
their homeisland, their diet would be supple-
mented by imported (relatively uncontami-
nated) foods, especially rice. Also, the
cisterns would be cleaned out and refilled
with fresh water as well as having new
cisterns built.
(3) Despite the wide variances in the data,
analysis of the results from all of the surveys
on the Pacific Islands shows a generaldecline