In
any
groundwater
case,
are
at
all
below
atolls
the
90 Sr
the
concentration
137 Cs
and
guidelines
concentrations
for
drinking
in
water
recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The
maximum
calculated
for the
the atolls.
and
annual
dose
and
the
30-
and
50-y
integral
doses
are
intake of both cistern water and groundwater for each of
Doses from the
Enieatok
rates
Islands
are
ingestion of cistern water at
less
than 0.1%
(0.001)
guidelines and the 30-y guideline; doses at
of
Bikini,
the
Rongelap,
individual
annual
the other atolls are about 0.01%
of the guidelines.
Even
if
situation)
the
total
annual
consumption were
groundwater
(an unrealistic
the estimated doses at Rongelap and Utirik are about 0.3% of
the
guidelines and less than 0.1% for the other atolls.
We
conclude
preferred
that
the
cistern water,
water
sources
contribute
at
a very
the
small
atolls,
especially
fraction of
the
the
estimated
total doses from all exposure pathways.
INTRODUCTION
A radiological
survey was conducted
from September
through
November
of
1978 to assess the concentrations of persistent man-made radionuclides in the
terrestrial and marine environments of 11 atolls and 2 islands of the Northern
Marshall
Islands.
Rongelap,
Mejit,
specific
Utirik,
Wotho,
The
atolls
Taka,
Bikar,
Ujelang,
islands
of
and
and
Bikini
islands
Rongerik,
Bikini.
Atoll
are
shown
Ailinginae,
Concentrations
have
been
well
in
Fig.
1
Likiep,
of
and
include
Jemo,
Ailuk,
radionuclides
documented./~4
on
However,
little radiological information is available for the remainder of the atoll or
for
other atolis
that were
considered most
from nuclear tests conducted at
likely
to have received
fallout
the Pacific Proving Grounds between 1946 and
1958.
The survey consisted,
in part,
of an aerial radiological reconnaissance
to map the external gamma-ray exposure rates over the islands of each atoll.
Shore parties
the
the
collected appropriate terrestrial and marine samples
radiological dose
atolls,
or
who
from pertinent
may
in
the
food chains
future
reside
to assess
to individuals residing on
on
some
of
the
uninhabited atolls, or who may now collect food from these atolls.
presently