Document Details

DOSE ASSESSMENT AT BIKINI ATOLL

ROBISON, W.L. (LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY, U. OF CA); PHILLIPS, W.A. (LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY, U. OF CA); COLSHER, C.S. (LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY, U. OF CA)

BIKINI CLEANUP; AGRICULTURE; RADIATION MONITORING; SCINTILLATION COUNTERS; CALIBRATION; CESIUM 137; THERMOLUMINESCENT DOSEMETERS; SAMPLING; SOILS; GAMMA SPECTROSCOPY; GROUND WATER; WELLS; DIET; COBALT 60; STRONTIUM 90; AMERICIUM 241; PLUTONIUM; INTEGRAL DOSES; DATA; RADIOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS; WHOLE-BODY COUNTING; RADIATION DOSES; LIVER; LUNGS; BONE MARROW; ANIMALS; FOOD; STANDARDS; HUMAN POPULATIONS; PERSONNEL; MAPS; DIAGRAMS; DOSEMETERS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS; IONIZATION CHAMBERS; PROCEDURES; PLANTS; LIFE STYLES; FRUITS; CALCULATION METHODS; INHALATION; INGESTION; ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY; ISOTOPE RATIO; RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS; MONITORING STATIONS; FISHES; BIRDS; ACTIVITY LEVELS; SEAWATER; COMMENTARY; FALLOUT PATTERNS; BIBLIOGRAPHIES

Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV

REPORT

1977 Jun 08

0051

NV0042130

UCRL51879PART5

LAWRENCE LIVERMORE LABORATORY, U. OF CA

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

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 WEAP ONS PROGRAM FROM 1946 TO 1958. IN 1969 A GENERAL CLEANUP BEGAN AT BIK INI ATOLL. SUBSISTENCE CROPS, COCONUT AND PANDANUS FRUIT, WERE PLANTE D ON BIKINI AND ENEU ISLANDS, AND HOUSING WAS CONSTRUCTED ON BIKINI IS LAND. A SECOND PHASE OF HOUSING WAS PLANNED FOR THE INTERIOR OF BIKIN I ISLAND. PRELIMINARY DATA INDICATED THAT EXTERNAL GAMMA DOSES IN THE INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE ISL AND. THEREFORE, TO SELECT A SECOND SITE FOR HOUSING ON THE ISLAND WIT H MINIMIMUM EXTERNAL EXPOSURE, A SURVEY OF BIKINI ATOLL WAS CONDUCTED IN JUNE 1975. EXTERNAL GAMMA MEASUREMENTS WERE MADE ON BIKINI AND EN EU ISLANDS, AND SOIL AND VEGETATIONS SAMPLES COLLECTED TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL DOSES VIA TERRESTRIAL FOOD CHAINS AND INHALATION. ESTIMAT ES OF POTENTIAL DOSE VIA THE MARINE FOOD CHAIN WERE BASED UPON DATA CO LLECTED ON PREVIOUS TRIPS TO THE ATOLL. SIX LIVING PATTERNS WERE EVAL UATED. ONE WAS BASED ON LIVING&OBTAINING ALL SUBSISTENCE CROPS FROM B IKINI ISLAND, ANOTHER ON LIVING ON AND OBTAINING ALL SUBSISTENCE CROPS ENEU ISLAND. OTHER PATTERNS CONSISTED OF VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF HOU SING AND SUBSISTENCE CROPS FROM THE TWO ISLANDS. THE TERRESTRIAL PATH WAY CONTRIBUTES THE GRATER PERCENTAGE, EXTERNAL GAMMA EXPOSURE CONTRIB UTES THE NEXT HIGHEST. AND INHALATION AND MARINE PATHWAYS CONTRIBUTE M INOR FRACTIONS OF THE TOTAL WHOLE BODY AND BONE MARROW DOSES. THE RAD IONUCLIDES CONTRIBUTING THE MAJOR FRACTION OF THE DOSE ARE STRONTIUM-9 0 AND CESIUM-137. ALL LIVING PATTERNS INVOLVING BIKINI ISLAND EXCEED FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR 30-YEAR POPULATION DOSES. THE ENEU ISLAND LIV ING PATTERN LEADS TO DOSES THAT ARE SLIGHTLY LESS THAN FEDERAL GUIDELI NES. ALL PATTERNS EVALUATED FOR BIKINI ATOLL LEAD TO HIGHER DOSES THA N THOSE ON THE SOUTHERN ISLANDS AT ENEWETAK ATOLL.