Updated radiological dose assessment of Bikini and Eneu Islands at Bikini Atoll

Technical Report · Fri Jan 29 00:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5303364

Robison, W L; Mount, M E; Phillips, W A; Stuart, M L; Thompson, S E; Conrado, C L; Stoker, A C

This report is part of a continuing effort to refine dose assessments for resettlement options at Bikini Atoll. Radionuclide concentration data developed at Bikini Atoll since 1977 have been used in conjunction with recent dietary information and current dose models to develop the annual dose rate and 30- and 50-y integral doses presented here for Bikini and Eneu Island living patterns. The terrestrial food chain is the most significant exposure pathway--it contributes more than 50% of the total dose--and external gamma exposure is the second most significant pathway. Other pathways evaluated are the marine food chain, drinking water, and inhalation. Cesium-137 produces more than 85% of the predicted dose; /sup 90/Sr is the second most significant radionuclide; /sup 60/Co contributes to the external gamma exposure in varying degrees, but is a small part of the total predicted dose; the transuranic radionuclides contribute a small portion of the total predicted lung and bone doses but do present a long-term source of exposure. Maximum annual dose rates for Bikini Island are about 1 rem/y for the whole body and bone marrow when imported foods are available and about 1.9 rem/y when imports are unavailable. Maximum annual dose rates for Eneu Island when imports are available are 130 mrem/y for the whole body and 136 mrem/y for bone marrow. Similar doses when imported foods are unavailable are 245 and 263 mrem/y, respectively. The 30-y integral doses for Bikini Island are about 23 rem for whole body and bone marrow when imported foods are available and more than 40 rem when imports are unavailable. The Eneu Island 30-y integral doses for whole body and bone marrow are about 3 rem when imports are available and 5.5 and 6.1 rem, respectively, when imports are unavailable. Doses from living patterns involving some combination of Bikini and Eneu Islands fall between the doses listed above for each island separately.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5303364
• Report Number(s): UCRL-53225; ON: DE82017380; TRN: 82-016430
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BIKINI
RADIATION DOSES
CESIUM 137
COBALT 60
DOSE RATES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
FOOD CHAINS
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
STRONTIUM 90
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CESIUM ISOTOPES
COBALT ISOTOPES
DOSES
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
ISLANDS
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MICRONESIA
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
OCEANIA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
510302* - Environment
Terrestrial- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Terrestrial Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)
520302 - Environment
Aquatic- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport- Aquatic Ecosystems & Food Chains- (-1987)