A Review of Personnel Monitoring at Bikini

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of Zikini it is a?psrea: that there are several poiats of nisur.derstandingis the minds of the 3i’kinipeople concemiag statenan:s I have zde regardin; t:.? radiological safety o; Bikini. Before reviewing the radiological mnicoring ob:Jiaed on the people living at Bikini I would line to clariSy sore of che w~ie justified ba~ed on the survey data coapiled at that tire. Subseq~2nc ar.~lysesof personnzl monitoringdata on tke people livixg a: Bikini sbwJz~ in all sinceri:y, I disclosed this as additioml assuratlceto the ?eople Ii.riagthere. Based on these findings I would no: “nesi:a:eto live in one about m at the Kili meeting. I have grea: friendshf? azd respect for che people of Bikiai and ia no way and at any time have I tried to tislead :he~. of Bikini. I: is only very recently ihi radiological mrvzy cla:ahas -Ate cumiaations. L’e&ve never done medical examinations on the 3ikink ?2J?15

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C:fects. Rxliatioa there is too-slight for ncdical studies to be of in:cre~t since no radiation effects would likely be detectable. Tireurine collection and r.easuremn:s of the body for radioactivity me not zwt.icalprocedtires and are done by techaiciaas. These rr.easur=entsare irportant since :hey foza the basis for reassurance of the people living on Bikini regarding their radiological safety. Though we are not doing nwiical e-~ai~~tims if our doczors are at 13ikini,as in the see, trea: and prescribe Sor any peo?ie request of the indLvi<ual or the health pzople it is not even necessary for our past, we will doctors to go always be glad co - but ordy at the requested by the In 1969 persorml noni:oring proce~ures were begun on a gzm? of 30 worlaen at a work cmp on Eneu Island. By 1972 about 3 Biiiini faailies hat moved back (about 50) and also about 25-30 wor!ccmsand agric-al:uris:s. Tae size of the population has not cbangzd mch since 1973. nonitoriag ?roczdures have been carried out: 1. Radiochenical analyses on urica samles: (individual 24 hodr aml and are donz for us by the ERDA Health and Safety Iabozazory in X= Yor’k City. Seek radiac?etical analyses have also bees carried out on water BEST AVNLABLE COPY D.0EARCHIVE3

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Toc r.casureneatof bo<y radiation by such analysis is veri sensitive zad vere dsrivtidfroradata furnished by ot”nsrradiological sur~ey groups. The r4sults of the persomzl mnitori;g. data oa people living ac ? analyses are presented on Table I. Xote that avers~e pCillizer for Bik ICkP) these isotopes h~ve been well below K=xku permissible levels. assuring also is :F.evirtual absence of pluton<m ia the saiyles. Leve again well below the ‘irimn ?z&ssillle levels. The graphs in fi~.m?s people are well below the peak vaiues noted in the Rongelap people. T’ values for internally absor”Dedradiomclitizs is in accord with the fat c’na:the people on 3i’<iaihave bees subsisting raia;y ail iqorted food BEST AVAILABLE COPY DOEARC

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Table 3 co:,?aresthe total bone r=row dose (the critical organ for sor.iticradiation effects) for people living at Bikini, Rongelap, U:iuik, Long Island, XC-JYork and Denver, Colozado. Since the people living at Denver have a considerably hiSher na:ural radiatioa and mdical, denzal t.haapeople living on Bi!tini. The es:ii~=teddose to people on Loag Ishxi is soaewhat less than Bikini doses, alsa it pight be noted that ma-- to higher levels than indicated for Bikini due to high thorium center.:oi ths soil. There havs been no reports of increased cancc!ror ot-nerillmss levels in p.=rdaausaz~ breadfruit have resulted in som fur:her ras.tric:iar.s the”interior 05 Sikiai Island. Recomsndations to put the first village and food cro2s on Eneu were not followed, nor was the recozr=adations to water Saz-.?lesfroa BLicAni. Based ox these findings the weil waier is ia ZEIC

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~~le catckca: “~z:~r for drinking and cooking. Com.~~tion of mrins to be high er.oughin ac:iviry to be avoided. Taey .s:equite scayce i etc.) have no: bean co~leted. liowever,it is reassuring that the ?re ~lngs,have not rzised body bcrdeas of radioauclides above the luJ lev ~~~ini is the critical test of radiological safety. iha e~osure of to mintaia a close check on the radiological status o: the peo?le.