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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Field Task Proposal/Agreement: Marshall Islands Radiological Safety Program

Dated
Mar 31, 1980
Document type
Book
Length
6 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16366166 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

U.S DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY FIELD TASK F’Rf3POSAL/AGR EEMENT 2. TASK NO. 3.RNEOV. 4. PROJECT NO. 5.,DATEF’REPARED 6 7. TASK TITLE ~farshall Islands Radiological 15. WDRK LOCATION (See inscmct/ms):Nmuof f8cd/ry, City, Srare, ZIP Code 16. Isthts task 17, included in the A comprehensive radiological safety program will be maintained for the inhabitants of atolls in the T{orthern llars’nailIslands contaminated as a result of the lJ.S. Pacific Testing prograns. The following items anrl services will be pro– a. Personnel monitoring and environmental sampling to provide data for BNL dose assessments and determination of’ radiological trends. b. Individual and population dosimetry based on actual measurements. The resulting data will be used to modify dose commitment predictive models so that they may more accurately reflect future trends. c. Continuation of die~ and living pattern assessments to update relevant parameters in long range predictive dose efforts. ?rogram activities In the coming fiscal year ‘will emphasize the following: a. In vivo counting and urine bioassay of Rongelap and Utirik res~dents to determine dose commitments from environmentally-derived radlonucldles at these atolls, anti to better understand excretion kinetics amon~ che ~larshallese. ‘o. Followup personnel monitoring at Enewetak to evaluate any change in radicmuclide body burden associated with ml year of residence on Lnewetak Atoll. c. A final determination of radionuclide body burdens among the former re– d. Continuation of analyses of transuranic nuclide cxcretlon rates amon~ Northern Ilarshall Islands residents, and of transuranics and fission and activat].on produces among !larshallese control. groups WI]O reside outside of tl]e fallout area. CONTRACTOR TASK MANAGER

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TASK REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATING/EQUIPMENT WORK PACKAGE NUMBER TASK NO. REV.NO. DATE F’REPARED CONTRAC3_OR NUMBER 21. STAFFING (inruff ymm) FY 1980 25. OWIONAL FIVE. YEAR PLAN on Tbous8ndsJ Conmnt BY dollars b. TOTAL OPERATING OBLIGATIONS PRO POSEO SCHEDULE AUTHORIZED SCHEDULE

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TITLE BUDGET AND REPORTING CODE DATE PREPARED CONTRACTOR NAME CODE WP NUMBER TASK NO. REV NO. Associated Universiiles, Inc. BNL o It is anticipated that work for this proposal will use existing Laboratory facilities and site utility services. Greenhouse, N.A. Dosimetry Methods and Results for the Former Residents of Bikini Atoll, BNL 26797, November 1979, Results for Inhabitants of the Northern Marshall Islands: 1974-1978, Health Physics, in press. Intake from Bioassay Data: A Model Applied to 137c~ Intake by Bikini T.sland Residents, ‘dealth Physics, in press. ( The primary purpose of this program is to measure and evaluate the internal and external doses to people living on those islands in the ~farshalls grou’p which were impacted by tropospheric fallout from United States atmospheric nuclear tests in the Pacific. Its objectives are: a. Direct or indirect measurement of radionuclide body burdens and resultant doses and dose commitments. b. }leasurement of external radiation environments and their contributions to the total doses to individuals and island populations. c. Evaluation of dietary habits and living patterns insofar as they relate to the elucidation of exposure pathways and the determination of doses. This program was initiated in 1974:at the request of the AEC (DOS) in anticipation of potential radiation exposures: to the returning Bikini population. Internal and external doses will be,measured and evaluted using accepted and up-to–date health physics practices.

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TITLE BUDGET AND REPORTING CODE DATE PREPARED Safetv Pro Zram CONTRACTOR NAME CODE I VJP NUMBER TASK NO REV. NO. Dietary and living pattern information will be derived from direct observations of island residents, and from standardized interviews with island residents during programmatic field trips. Fiscal control will be exercised in the form of monthly comparisons, over the task term, of actual costs incurred against corresponding line items of the budget. Technical results shall be monitored through a periodic review, by the Contractor Task !lanager, of accomplishments by measuring actual performance as comparzd to ex– petted progress. All work shall be conducted in conformance with generally accepted standards for R&D and other investigative or analytic procedures, as observed by universities and large independen~ research facilities including Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). External and internal dose equivalents received dining residency on Bikini Island and internal dose equivalents to be received post residency were evaluated for former Bikini residents, Bioassay results from samples collected in January 1979 and prior bioassay results were used to construct individual 90sr-9 y body burden histories. Whole body counting results during 1979 and di.vidual body burden histories, Daily activity ingestion rates were calculated from the body burden data. Uptake regimes which bes~ fit t!]e activity ingestion take for 137CS. Dosimetric models which described tl]e uptake scenario were derived and individual dosimetric results for persons residing on Bikini Island some– time during the years 1969 and 1978 were determined. In addition, doses due to residual radioactivity in persons after departure from Bikini were calculated. Individual body burdens, urine activity concentrations and dose equivalents have been recorded or stored in a computer data base. Publications and repor~s describing dosimetric methods and results, whole body counting results and biological removal rate constants for Biklnians have been written. Routine personnel monitoring was provided for Rongelap and Utirik residents. A statistical analysis was performed to determine the minimum sample size needed to establlsh the mean 137CS body burden at the 90~ confidence level, !lale and female adult, adolescent and child categories were counted at each atoll and many persons who participated in prior whole body counting visits were recounted. In addition, urine bioassay samples were collected from adult and adolescent population groups. Body burden histories and dosi.metric results have been completed for half tl~e resident populations for years following rehabitation of the atolls.

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TITLE BUDGET AND REPORTING CODE DATE PREPARED CONTRACTOR NAME CODE WP NUMBER TASK NO. REV. NO 2of. Technical Progress cont. Data collection on types and amounts of food consumed by the Marshallese was done by actually livinz with them. Simultaneous observations on their living patterns were also made. These studies were part of the Northern ~farshallese Islands Radiological Survey (13-Atoll Survey). Baseline radionuclide body burdens will be evaluated for the returning ewetak population. Evaluation of the post residence decline of body burdens former Bikini residents will continue. The data base on dietary habits and living patterns will be updated for all relevant atolls and/or islands. Personnel monitoring and related demographic assessment activities will continue at Rongelap, Utirik, Enewetak and other areas of interest to DOE. Monitoring of former Bi’kini residents will be phased out unless circumstances dictate Expected Progress in BY (FY 1982). Personnel monitoring and related demographic assessment activities will continue in all areas of interest in the t[arshall Islands. A running account will be maintained of individual and population dosimetric information for the residents of islands affected by the Pacific Testing Programs. These data will provide an empirical basis for improving the accuracy and’ value of lon~-range predictive dose assessments from man-made radionuclides in the environ20h. Relationship to Other Projects. This program operates and interacts directly with the Brookhaven !ledical Pro- ~ram in the ilarshall Islands, and provides contempory data to be factored into the Retrospective Dose Reassessments for Rongelap and Utirik (and other islands affected by weapons test fallout) , It also provides empirical bases for upgrading long range predictive dose modelling activites such as those of the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Coordination of this program with related programs within DOE and its contractors will be accomplished through timely exchange of program findings and related information. Work done under this task proposal has either no eqvlronrnental impact or has impacts similar to those described in and covered by BNL’s Environmental Impact

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