Northern Marshall Islands radiological survey: sampling and analysis summary

Technical Report · Thu Jul 23 04:00:00 EDT 1981

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6315908· OSTI ID:6315908

Robison, W. L.; Conrado, C. L.; Eagle, R. J.; Stuart, M. L.

A radiological survey was conducted in the Northern Marshall Islands to document reamining external gamma exposures from nuclear tests conducted at Enewetak and Bikini Atolls. An additional program was later included to obtain terrestrial and marine samples for radiological dose assessment for current or potential atoll inhabitants. This report is the first of a series summarizing the results from the terrestrial and marine surveys. The sample collection and processing procedures and the general survey methodology are discussed; a summary of the collected samples and radionuclide analyses is presented. Over 5400 samples were collected from the 12 atolls and 2 islands and prepared for analysis including 3093 soil, 961 vegetation, 153 animal, 965 fish composite samples (average of 30 fish per sample), 101 clam, 50 lagoon water, 15 cistern water, 17 groundwater, and 85 lagoon sediment samples. A complete breakdown by sample type, atoll, and island is given here. The total number of analyses by radionuclide are 8840 for /sup 241/Am, 6569 for /sup 137/Cs, 4535 for /sup 239 +240/Pu, 4431 for /sup 90/Sr, 1146 for /sup 238/Pu, 269 for /sup 241/Pu, and 114 each for /sup 239/Pu and /sup 240/Pu. A complete breakdown by sample category, atoll or island, and radionuclide is also included.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6315908
• Report Number(s): UCRL-52853-Pt.1; ON: DE81029429
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

510300 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520300* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Radioactive Materials Monitoring & Transport-- (1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560170 -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
AMERICIUM 241
AMERICIUM ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIKINI
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
DATA
DATA COMPILATION
DOSES
ECOSYSTEMS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENIWETOK
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
FISHES
GAMMA RADIATION
GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY
GROUND WATER
HEAVY NUCLEI
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISLANDS
ISOTOPES
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MICRONESIA
MONITORING
NUCLEI
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEANIA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANTS
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM 240
PLUTONIUM 241
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATIONS
RADIOACTIVITY
RADIOISOTOPES
SEDIMENTS
SOILS
SPECTROSCOPY
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
VERTEBRATES
WATER
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES