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Appendices to the Committee Report Members of Survey Team Brief Sunmary of the Radiological Status of the Bikini Atoll. Philip F, Additional Documents Examined Letter of December 7; 1966, from Hon. Stewart L. Udall, Secretary of the Interior to Hon. Glenn T. Seaborg, Chairman, AEC, with paragraph deleted. Letter of April 8, 1968, John R, Totter to members of the ad hoc committee—— Letter of April 8, 1968, John R. Totter to members of the survey team and Report entitled MEETING TO DISCUSS RETURN OF THE NATI.VES TO THE BIKINI RADIOLOGICAL REPORT ON BIKINI ATOLL, April, 1968. Prepared by Philip ADDITIONS TO RADIOLOGICAL REPORT ON BIKINI ATOLL, May, 1968. Philip 1?. 1967 BIKINI RADIOLOGICAL RESURVEY--MARSHALLS. AGRICULTURE REPORT, by James T. Hiyane, District Agriculturis~, Trust Territory. EXTERNAL RADIATION LEVELS ON BIKINI ATOLL--May, 1967. HASL-190. December, 1967. prepared by Harold L. Beck and Burton G. Bennett, Health and Safety .
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9. Letter of January 8, 1968, from Edward E. Held, with attached tables, to Letter of December 11, 1967, from Edward E. Held, with attached tables, to Letter of December 26, 1967, from Edward E. Held to Edward P. Hardy, Jr. Figure : Body Burden Gamma Emitters--Rongelap exposed group. Submitted by Robert A. Conard, Brookhaven National Laboratory. Table : Estimated Peak Dose Per Year--Rongelap People. Submitted by Robert A. Table: Comparison of Rongelap and Bikini Food. Submitted by Robert A. Table: Age Distribution of Bikinians--October, 1967. THE BIKINI STORY IN BRIEF. By Leonard Mason, University of Hawaii.
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MEMBERS OF SURVEY TEAM Edward Held, University of Washington Harold Beck, Health and Safety Laboratory Burton Bennett, Health and Safety Laboratory Arnold Joseph, Ylrine Sciences Council Jack T’obin, Trust Territory James Hiyane, Trust Territory (not present at. meeting) (not present at meeting) Joseph Rivera, Health and Safety Laboratory
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Brief Suniiary of the Radiological Status of the Bikini Atoll Fallout Stuclies Branch Division of Biology and Medi~ine A number of radiological surveys of Bikini Atoil have been made since 1946. ThC most recent survey was conducted in April and May 1967. The main effort was devoted to the measurement of ambient radiation levels using several types of detectors. The external radiation field was mapped in considerable detail on Bikini and Eneu Islands, and less thoroughly on the remainder of the atoll. The various radionuclides and their concentrations which gave rise to the observed radiation field were determined from field gamma-ray sprctrometry. Representative samples of local plants and animals which might bc eaten by the returning natives were collected and have been analyzed for radioactivity. The results of the 1967 survey proviclc a basis for making reasonable estimates of the total (exter[]al plus internal) radiation exposure which the 13iki.nians might receive over the coming years, if they return to the atoll. Background radiation on the atoll is due almost exclusively to cosmic radiation, and there are. only trace amounts of the naturaliy occurring r-ddiOCl~mentS in the area. Except in the immediate vicinity of nuclear detonations , the composition of the residual. gamma-ray raclioactivi.ty was similar throughout the atoll , consisting of about 70[7013’CS> 207. Co, and 107. 125 Sb . Variations in i.ntensi.tywere observed from place to place; Eneu was the least contaminated, fo]lowcd by Rikin] ISlaIICl itself, A dose gl-adi.cnL existed across Bikini, with lowest lCVC1.S On tl-,c beach arcos , and ~lLg\lcstvaiues in the hcavlly overgrown Interior.
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The external dose received by the, returned Bilcinians will depend upon where various people are located, and for what periods of time, within the islancl complex. Location in turn depends upon whether they are men, women, or children, The returnees (see Age Distribution table) will probably consist of about equal numbers of men a“nd women. The amount of time likely to bc spent in the four radiation domains (village area, beach, interior, and la~oon) by the various groups within the population are shown in Table 1 . Probably the most time will be spent in the village area, where the dose rate is intermediate between beach and interior levels . The dose rate may be rcctuccd one t]alf by covering t’ne ground with an inch of clean sand or soil This in essence will be done in the village area through the custom of coveri[~g the dirt floor and the yard with several inches , of polished coral pebbles, l’l~e.expected integral dose to the population over various time intervals starring j.n 1970 is shown in Table 2. T.hc actual internal dose derived from eating native foocts is somewhat more di[ficult to assess. However, three points should be borne in mind. - (1) As in the past, tl~e natives ~-ill doubtless take much of their sustenance from the lagoon and ocean. (2) Edible land plants will be severely limj.tcci,at least at first, due to the sparcity of fruit-bearing coconut, panc!anus, etc. (3) The Eikinians have become accustomed to eating new foods , and will probably continue to eat such things as rice, flour , canned meat , and powdered milk. The only radionuclides of biological importance
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nuclear species were either lacking or preser,t in very low concentration. A notion of the possible daily intake of the above three radionuclides may be obtained by taking the diet eaten by the Rongelapese as d guide, and using the observed concentrations of radioactivity in the same food items collected on Bikini. The resultant daily intalces ‘are sh,own in Table 3, and arc compared with the daily intakes which will lead to acceptable body burdens for individuals and a suitable sample of the population. Special procedures which will greatly reduce the 90 Sr content of the fruit can be undertaken at planting when edible pandanus is re-introduced to the Atoll. Edible Fruit would be available about five years after planting. The fact that edible pandanus fruit will not be available for several years removes what 90might have been the major source of Sr intake.and materially reduces Lhe ‘37CS intake a~ well. Removal also of land crab meat from the diet seems advisable, 90ancl such restrictions bring the Sr intake down to 115 pCi/rlay Doses to the whole body from 137 Cs and 55Fe were calculated assuming tl~at the reduction of radioactivity in the diet occurs only from radioactive decay. DOSCS to bone from 90 Sr were also computed. Eecause of marked differences in metabolism, adults and chilclren were considered separately for internal dose pu?poscs. The total closes to whole body and to bone for children and adults from internal and external radiation over 5-, 30- and 70-year intervals starting in 1970 are indicated in Table 4. The d~ses acceptable for irlcliviclualsand for a suitable sample of the population during che same time intervals are
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The estimated Sr dose to bone is maximal because additions of calcium to the diet could readily reduce 90 Sr uptake. ,. It appears unlikely that, with moderate restrictions on living and eating habits, the dose to the whole body or to bone will reach 2 rads in 5 years, 10 rads in 30 years or 16 rads in 70 years.
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from Bikini Foods, (pCi/day) “’’” Acceptable intake for 600 pC~/g Ca 7,000 97,000 ““ This diet contains 0.42 g calcium “’*>tCalculated in the following way: processing of Jrrowroot to make flour where the value of the MPL for i.ndlviduals j.s 1/10, and for suitable sample is 1/30 of the value for radiation workers will supplement this diet.
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Summary of Radiation Exposure (rads) !Thole Body Whole Body Bone ><>’: Acceptable exposure for individuals is .5rad/year. Acceptable exposure for suitable sample 0[ the