Dose assessment at Bikini Atoll. [/sup 90/Sr, /sup 137/Cs]
Bikini Atoll is one of two sites in the northern Marshall Islands that was used by the United States as testing grounds for the nuclear weapons program from 1946 to 1958. In 1969 a general cleanup began at Bikini Atoll. Subsistence crops, coconut and Pandanus fruit, were planted on Bikini and Eneu Islands, and housing was constructed on Bikini Island. A second phase of housing was planned for the interior of Bikini Island. Preliminary data indicated that external gamma doses in the interior of the island might be higher than in other parts of the island. Therefore, to select a second site for housing on the island with minimum external exposure, a survey of Bikini Atoll was conducted in June 1975. External gamma measurements were made on Bikini and Eneu Islands, and soil and vegetations samples collected to evaluate the potential doses via terrestrial food chains and inhalation. Estimates of potential dose via the marine food chain were based upon data collected on previous trips to the atoll. The terrestrial pathway contributes the greater percentage, external gamma exposure contributes the next highest, and inhalation and marine pathways contribute minor fractions of the total whole body and bone marrow doses. The radionuclides contributing the major fraction of the dose are /sup 90/Sr and /sup 137/Cs. All living patterns involving Bikini Island exceed federal guidelines for 30-yr population doses. The Eneu Island living pattern leads to doses that are slightly less than federal guidelines. All patterns evaluated for Bikini Atoll lead to higher doses than those on the southern islands at Enewetak Atoll.
- Research Organization:
- California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 7304816
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-51879(Pt.5)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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560163 -- Radionuclide Effects-Internal Source-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALINE EARTH ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIKINI
BIOMASS
BUILDINGS
CESIUM 137
CESIUM ISOTOPES
CROPS
DOSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY SOURCES
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FOOD CHAINS
GAMMA RADIATION
HOUSES
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INHALATION
INTAKE
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISLANDS
ISOTOPES
MARSHALL ISLANDS
MONITORING
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PLANTS
POPULATIONS
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOILS
STRONTIUM 90
STRONTIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES