The whole-body dose rates based on continuous consumption of 200 g/d of
‘fish range from 0.028 mrem/y at Mejit
bone-marrow dose
Rongelap.
rates
to about
0.1 mrem/y at
the
to 0.12 mrem/y
at Mejit
from 0.029 mrem/y
range
Rongelap;
at
The dose commitment, or 30-y integral doses, range from 0.00063 to
0.0022 rem for the whole body and
from 0.00065
to
0.0032
rem
for
the
bone
marrow.
INTRODUCTION
A radiological
survey was conducted
from September
through
November of
1978 to assess the concentrations of persistent manmade radionuclides in the
terrestrial and marine environments of 12 atolls and 2 islands in the Northern
Islands.
Marshall
Likiep,
Taka,
The
atolls
Ailinginae,
and
Wotho,
islands
Bikar,
are
Ailuk,
Mejit, Jemo, Rongelap, Bikini, and Enewetak.
on specific
shown
in Fig.
Rongerik,
1
and
include
Ujelang,
Utirik,
Concentrations of radionuclides
islands of Bikini Atoll have been well documented. !~*
However,
little radiological information is available for the remainder of the atoll or
for other atolls that were considered most
likely to have received fallout
from nuclear tests conducted at 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.
The logistic support for the entire survey was designed
operation.
As
a
secondary
appropriate
terrestrial
phase
and marine
of
the
survey,
samples
from pertinent food chains to those
to
to accommodate
shore
assess
parties
the
this
collected
radiological
individuals residing on the atolls,
may in the future reside on some of the presently uninhabited atolls,
dose
who
or who
collect food from these atolls.
Over 5000 terrestrial and marine samples were collected for radionuclide
analysis
from
76 different
islands.
Soils,
vegetation,
indigenous
animals,
and cistern water and groundwater were collected from the islands.
Reef and
pelagic
from
fish,
clams,
lagoon
water,
and
sediments
were
obtained
the
lagoons.
A
considerable
generated
from
the
amount
analyses
of
radionuclide
of these
samples.
of the program will appear in separate reports.
series we describe the general operation of the
concentration
Results
In the
survey,
data
has
from different
first
report
been
phases
of
this
the type and quantity