Marshall Islands Radiological Safety Program and Rongelap/Utirik Dose Reassessment Project-a Historical Synopsis

Page 1

and Rongelap/Utirik Dose Reassessment Project From the mid.1940’s to 1958, the United States conducted its’ high-yield nuclear veapons tests at 3iki~i and Enewetak Atolls in the tropical Pacific.. These remote groups of small islands lie about 2,500 miles southwest of Hawaii, and are part of the :4arshallIslands District of Micronesia. At that tiae, aost of Micronesia ‘~asthe political ward of the United States which acz~d as trustee under a L!nited!Jationsmandate establishing the Trust Territory of the Pacific this region, known as Frze Association with Islands (Micronesia) after World War 11. Currently, the Yarshall Islands, intends to enter into a Compact of the United States. The largest of the mcl~ar tests was the “BRAVO’”event which took place at 3ikini Atoll on !Iarch1, 1954. Radioactive fallout from this detonation was carried eastward by prevailing winds, and resulted in radiation exposures to Marshallese people living at Rongelap and Utirik Atolls a few hundred miles Zway. The exposed population of these atolls plus a comparison population are frequently examined by Brookhaven National Laboratory !ledicalpersonnel to detect and care for long-term health effects due to their exposure to radiation from the weapons testing program. In addition to the high-level radiation exposures co the Rongelap and Utirik people, the nuclear tests also left a legacy of environmental radioactivity which, because of its lower level, is not expected to cause adverse health effects. However, residual radioactivity in the environment will contribute radiation exposures above natural background levels to people living in these areas.

Page 2

or~:iqal inha~itants, most of whom were living on Kili Island about 500 ailes to :he south of Bikini Atoll. A si!nilarauthorization was given for the Enewetak people who had been moved to Ujelang prior to the testing at their home atoil. Because of the residual radioactivity at Bikini and Enewetak, environmental monitori~g program were established t~ assure the people that the th~ss places) remain within acceptabl~ limits. The dose-equivalent limits are those recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICX?) for people not occupationally exposed to radiation. The U.S. Department of Znergy had assumed the old .4tcmicEnergy Coamis:ion’s commitment to provide continuing followup for the medical and environmental problem caused by the Pacific testing programs. Beginning in :Iarch1954 to the ?resent, the Srookhaven medical team has provided medical care and radiation protection guidance to the exposed population. They studied internal radioactivity levels through radiochemical analysis of urine and blood and through whole-body counting. Since the logistical support for 3rockhaven medical team visits to Rongelap and Utirik had been established, it seened reasonable to have the environmental and radiological safety assessments done by the Safety and Environmental Protection ‘Divisionof Brookhaven National Laboratory as well. The Safety and Environmental Protection givision undertook environmental measurements for radioactivity as early as 1974. In 1979, whole-body councing and radioche~ical analysis of biological samples were transferred from the ~fedicalDepartment to this division. .4tpresent, the program

Page 3

invol’Jesup to 3 field trips a year to the !{orthern:Iarshalls.!!easurenent~ are made of external and in vivo radiation levels. Samples are colleccecifor laboratory analysis at Brookhaven National Laboratory to assess the radioactive content i~ soil, food products and humans. A major component of the field work involves having representative individuals monitored for radioactivity content in their bodies. The following is a brief description of the Safety and Environmental Protection Division’s programs in the !~arshall Isiands starting from 1974 and covering current activities. Negotiations between the Division of ~perational Safety of the old Atonic Energy Commission (.4ECDOS)and the old Health Physics and Safety Division of Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNLHPS) resulted in a proposal submission to begin the Narshall Islands Radiological Safety Program (NIRSP). Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) had and still has a parallel program, !4arshall Islands iladioecology,which concentrates on Enewetak and Bikini AtoLls. An orientation field trip was arranged for Greenhouse and Ash of BNLHPS. They accompanied the BNL IfedicalDepartment’s spring medical survey to Utirik, Rongelap and Bikini, in April 1974. Nelson, of the University of Washington’s Laboratory of Radiation Ecology (I,JWLRE) also participated in this field trip. Plans were made to collaborate with lJWLR~ in the future. Ttiis field trip included physical examinations, in-vivo whole-body counting and urine bioassay sampling of all three atoll populations by the BNL medical team. External radiation measurements and sampling of groundwater, soil, plants, fish and coconut crabs were performed by Greenhouse and Nelson.

Page 4

The Yarshall Islands Radiological Safety Program was fomally initiated. Funding levels were $12S,000 for operating and s20,000 for capital equipment. Staffing levels were 1.5 man years scientific and professional and 1.0 Tan year technical support. Greenhouse directed the program. Arrangements were made to up~rade the WLHPS analytical lab with the additions of a computer based mdti-channel analyzer and a high efficiency GcLi detector. Greenhouse and Nelson, in a joint UWLRE/BNLIIPSfield trip to the Northern Yarshalls in December 19?4, collected environmental samples and made external radiation measurements at Rongelap, Utirik, Rongerik and Bikini Atolnsyl”~ania,~avis of Pacific Gas and ZIectric, and Nelson of UWLRE participated in an April 1975 field trip to Bikini .4to11. They collected samples and defined the external radiat~on environments of Bikini and Enue Islands. Limited soil and vegetation sampling were done at Bikini and comparison environmental samples were collected at \Jothoand Kwajalein Atolls. This field trip established the groundwork for a major interagency survey of Bi!ciniand Enue Islands in June in which Greenhouse participated. This survey included soil, ~roundwater and some vegetation sampling. It was performed jointly by LLL, UWLRS , the Environmental Protection Agency, and BNLHPS. Their primary objective was selection of locations for the second increment of house construction on Bikini and Enue Islands by the Department of the Interior. Funding levels were $172,000 Staffing levels were 2.0 man years operating and $20,000 capital equipment. scientific and professional and 1.0 man

Page 5

years :echnical support. !4ajorequi?ment purchases included A Lawrence Livemore Laboratory Portable Gamma Spectrometer and two Reuter Stokes Environmental ~adiation Monitors. Naidu (BNLHPS) joined Greenhouse to tom the ;lelsonand Greenhouse collaborated on a field trip to Najuro, Pona?e, Truk, Cuam, and Palau, as part of the UWLRE Pacific Basin Study. Greenhouse, Naidu, and Kuehner of 3NLXPS, Haughey of Mtgers University, Terpilak of the L)epar:nent of Health, Education and Yelfare, Ilureauof ?.adiologicalHealth and Xastens of University of !JewYork at Stony Brook, Yarine Science Center participated in a Xarch-.4prilfield trip to Bikini Atoll. Their primary 03jectives were beta and gamma dose rate measurements on ~ikini Island and a general radiological survey of !iamIsland in the northwestern sector of the atol:. This survey included limited soil and vegetation sampling. A joint BNLH?S and UWLRE survey with the BNL Medical Department was undertaken in Sept~mber. The BNLHPS objective was to perform an environmental radiation survey at Wotje, Ailuk, Utirik, Itongelapand Bikini Atolls. Special efforts focussed on several northern fslands at Rongelap. PUBLICATION: Marshall Islands Radiological Followup, !~..A.Greenhouse house, Presented at the Ninth Midyear Topical Symposium, Operational Health Physics, Denver, Colorado, February 1’376. Funding levels were $207,000 for operating and $80,000 for capital squipment. Staffing levels were 2.0 man years scientific and professional

Page 6

Greenhouse as grinciple staff. A request from the Ener2y Research and D~- velopment ,Administration,Di,Jisi~nof Safety, Standards and Compliance (!ZRDADSSCformerly .AECDOS)to add air sampling equipment to the radiological sur-~eillanceprogram at 3i’kiniwas received. ERDADSSC also requested in vivo counring of the Bikini and Znewetak people. Major equipment purchases incl~ded four ~ind-?owered electrical generators, three multichannel analyzers !3uringa September 1976 BNL medical survey to Rongelap, Knudsen, a >!edical ~epartnent physician, vas requesc~d by the residents of Rongelap to have TJaiduof 3NLSZP stay on Rongelap Island and instruct the people in radiation sciences. Xaidu vas funded by the Energy Research and 3evelopmenc Administrasix ‘deeksduring January and February 1977 educating the Xongelap people on matters pertaining to the effects of ~adiation on man. Durizg April and Yay of 1977, BNL.SEP’SGreenhouse, Yi.ltenbergerand Levine went to Utirik, Rongelap and Bikini to do site planning for wi~dpowered electrical generators and air sampling stations. Together with a Conventionally powersd comparison air sampling station, which they iastalled at Kwajalein Island, Kwajalein Atoll, these stations initiated the long-tern sampling program for air activity concentrations of plutonium. Fossil-fuelsd ~enerators were judged incapable of supplying continuous year round power on outer atolls. Wind-powered generators were thought to ‘be capable of supplying

Page 7

powered electrical generators were virtuallv noiseless compared to gasoline powered electrical generators. They offered the possibility of collecting a lar~e volume air sample without disruption If quiescent village li-~ingpatterns on outer atolls. A plutonium excretion study was also undertaken by coliezting pooled large-volume urine samples from three to five families at each atoll except Kwajalein. Early i~ 1977, the question of the past dose equivalent to the Marshallese who have lived on Rongelap and Utirik, had become an important scientific and health related question with considerable political overtones. Bond, initiatsd technical evaluation of the issue. }112S?funding levels were $207,000 for operating and $10,000 for capital equipment. Staffing levels were 2.0 man years scientific and professional and 2.5 nan years technical support. Greenhouse and ~liltenbergermade up the progran’s principle staff, Cua and Knight joined the program staff part time. :fajorsuuipment purchases consisted of peripheral alpha spectroscopy equipment for plutonium an~ses of enviro~ental and biological samples. AS a result of earlier discussions by 3ond, Meinhold, Naidu and others of 3NL, a proposal for Rongelap and Utirik Dose Reassessment (itUDR)had been forwarded to the Department of Energy’s Division of ?3iologicaland Environmental Research (!IOEDBERformerly ERDADBER) and the program was funded with an operational budyt ~)r;7°,000. Staffing levels were 0.5 man years scientific and professional, Naidu and Greenhouse were the RUDR program’s primar’ystaff.

Page 8

In Gctober 1977, three ,Jind-poweredelectrical ~enerators and long term air Sanpling stations were installed at Utirik, !?ongelapand 3ikini Islands 5y aeabers of BNLSEP and the ownerfoperator of Enertech Corporation, the seller of the wind-powered systens. A second comparison station was Roi-Namur Island, Kwajalein Atoll. In addirion, large volume were collected under controlled conditions from es at Utirik, Rongelap and Bi]kini. All of this house, Levine, Dillingham, !3eAngelisand Cua of five to seven work was perfomed by Greenertech Corporation. Also in October 1977 %iltenberger of BNLSEF and Cohn, Rothman and Clareus of BNL medical attempted to whole-body count the YarshalIese population residing at Japtan Island, Enewetak Atoll. Due to an uncertain political and social atmosphere, it was decided by the new Department of Energy’s Division of Safety, Standards and Compliance (DOEDSSC formerly ERDADSSC) that BNL refrain from involvement with the Xarshallese on Japtan Island. At that time, the focus of the field work was switched to counting 35 Holmes and 27arveremployees who were residents of Enewetak Island. In January 1978 Balsamo and Sherwin returned to Bikini, Rongelap and ~t,irikto comylete wind-powered electrical generator installation and repair. In April 1978 !liltenberger,Lessard and Xaidu of BNLSZP participated in a joint field trip with BNL Yedical on Rongelap, Utirik, the BNLSEP team collected urine, soil, radiochemical analysis. They also collected 5 Utirik and Bikini .4tolls. At vegetation and fish samples for day high-volume air samples and Anderson cascade impactor air samples. The wind-powered electrical generator at Utirik was not working and could not be repaired. !;aiduremained behind on Utirik for several weeks to teach the biological effects of radiation, a pro-

Page 9

gram siailar to the one given on Rongelap ia 1977. Lessard and Yiltenberger proceeded to Rongelap co collect additional and conducted an external ex?osure study at Atoll. The wind-powered electric generator urine and environmental samples the northern islands of Rongelap had malfunctioned here too. An attempt co repair the wind-powered genera&or also was nade, however, no long tern successful operation of the system could be achieved. Greenhouse and Kuehner of BNLSEP joined the field team at Bikini. Of the 143 persons residing on Bikini, 99 were whole-body counted. Additionally, urine sanples and environmental soil, air and vegetation samples were collected. Samples of locally prepared indigenous food items such as jekaro (coconut sap), jekami (coconut syrup) and powdered taro flour (a starchy tuber based flour) were obtaified. The wind-powered generator on Biki~i was not wor!cingnor could it be repaired. The Bikinians were made aware of the fact that their prior body burdens had increased to new levels and many of them knew they exceeded the.- { internationally accepted annual guidelines for dose-equivalent commitinent. In June 1978, the RUDR program contracted the meteorological group at LLL, headed up Gudiksen, to provide a computer simulation of the dispersion, transport and deposition of fallout from the 1954 atmospheric nuclear test, .41so,a contract to provide neutron activation analyses of environmental samples for 1-127 and I-129 resulting from the deposition of fallout on Xongelap and Utirik Atolls was given to the Radiological Sciences Department, Battelle-Pacific Northwest Laboratory (BPNL) under the guidance of Brauer and Bal10U. Historic soil samples from Rongelap and lJtirikAtolls were provided by Seymour, the director of UWLRE. In August, Sondhaus of UCC?lwas asked to collaborate on the dose reassessment project (RUDR).

Page 10

In September 1973, Naidu, Craighead and Greenhouse of 3NLSEP began a diet and living pattern study of Rongelap, Utirik, Li!<iepand Ailuk Atolls. Inizi.alobservations had been performed by Naidu during prior visits (Rongelap 6 weeks, January-February 1977 and lltirik2 weeks, April 1978) and by Knight duri:ugF*[78. Basic data was gathered on age distribution, family size, seasonal variations of locally grown food, food from other islands, individual and individual daily activity patterns. Greenhouse also perlevel exposure rate measurements and surface soil sampling. performed in support of the Northern Marshall Islands Radiological ?urvey and expenses totalling $37,000 were reimbursed through Robisorlof LLL and Liverman of DOE. pTJ9LICAT10NS: External ‘RadiationSurvey and Dose Predictions for Radiological Analyses of Marshall Islands Environmental ?lIRSPwas funded with $281,000 operating and $25,000 capital. RUDR was funded with $50,000 operating. Total staffing levels were 3.4 man years scientific and professional and 1.6 man years technical support. Lessard, a prior collaborator on YIIRSP joined with Greenhouse, Miltenberger and Naidu as principle staff for MIRSP and RUDR. ?iajorequipment purchases included a portable Davidson multi-channel analyzer and tower extentions for the windpowered electrical generators.

Page 11

Tvelve two week Xarshallese comparison urine sanpl.zswere collected in October 1978 by Shoniber, Department of Health Services, Trust Territory of tile?acific Islands and forwarded to BNL for analyses. Sach sample was to out and for natural K-40. The results were to be used to establish the 5aseline excretion rates for these radionuclides so that a reference against which urize samples from the atolls contaminated with troposphericfallout could be mental, demographic, physiologic and bioassay data bases were initiated by ~liltenberger. Preliminary diet and living ?attern reports were submitted to 305ison (LLL) by Naidu. Under the RUDR program, 62 teeth samples fran Biki~i, Xongelap and Utirik were collected by 3NL Medical for ftitureanal;7sesof cal Xesearch of Japan to contribute some Bikini ash to RLY3Rresearch. During January and February 1979, Lsssard constructed appropriate dosimetric models and determined retrospective and prospective dose equivalents to various body organs for all former Bikini residents. This work also compared urine bioassay derived body burdens to whole-body counting measured body burIn January, a whole body counting field trip to Majuro to examine the former Bikini Island residents was undertaken by >Iiltenberger,Greenhouse and CraiShead. They whole-body counted 101 persons and collected 49 urine samples, 64 whole-body ~oun[s were from the …