Weee suctad up
tion,
clezl.
Enenus:s of
‘
4
ar
,
an vapvodicted shift in wind direc:
redloactively contaminated fallout was deposited on Ronyolap, Allingnus
and Utirik atolls.
On Rongelep, the fallout was deseribed ag “snow-like" which coated the
ground aud vegetation and forned depos dts on the hair anc skin of the peopl:.
_Less dense "mist-like" fallout was noted
Ailingnze, some 49
on Ailingnae.
miles south of Rongelap, wes actually closer to Bikini but it was situated
more out of the line of the cloud passzrue.
No visibls evidence of fallout
was observed on Utirik, 250 miles from Bikini.
Fallout comnenced on Rongelap and Ailingnae 4 to 6 hours after the deton=
ation of the bomb.
the explesion.
The radioactive cloud reached Utirik about 22 hours after
Evacuation of
the contamin ated
islands was accomslishad ap-
proximately 48 hours after the commencemont of fallout
5,
3
Exposure to radiation
involved whole body gemma dose from environment-
ally depos ited radioactive fission products, superficial dos es from beta and
soft ganna radiation and doses frou internal absorption (through inhalation
and ingestion) of radionuclides.
The extern al whole body pamna dose has been computed to be 175 rad on
Rongelap, 69 rad on Ailingnac and 14 rad on Utirik (Tabie I).
Based on
culations from radiochemical urine analyses » it has been estimated that the
. thyroid gland aceunulated about 11.2 uCi of 131, ,
2
lived isotopes, 121, 1337
In
ddition, the shorter-
ond 135), added considerably to the dese.
The
most proebeble dose to the thyroid gland of Rongelap Island children “Less
.
than 4 years of age has been
rad>»6,
calevlated to
be in the range of 700 to 1400
Except for the thyroid gland, the dose from absorbed radioactive
material oopears to have been minimal with no discernible biclocies!] effects,7,
5001324