Estimation of Radiation Doses in the Marshall Islands Based on Whole Body Counting of Cesium-137 (137Cs) and Plutonium Urinalysis

Individual Radiation Protection Monitoring in the Marshall Islands. Utrōk Atoll (2010-2012)

“…These actions may include follow-up verification measurements, a dietary evaluation and/or a work history review. Below this level, default assumptions for assigning doses (Daniels et al, 2006) are assumed to be valid and no further action is taken. Data may be withheld from the website or hard copy reports while these investigations are on-going.…”

“…When more than one radionuclide is measured, the total annual 'calendar year' dose is the sum on the CEDE for each measured radionuclide. The calendar year dose estimates based on whole body counting and plutonium bioassay are conservative in nature, especially in relation to plutonium, and is only be comparable to the internal dose component of the EDE standard of 15 mrem per year as adopted by the Marshall Islands Nuclear Claims Tribunal for cleanup and rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated sites (to view the full report on the dose methodology, see Daniels et al, 2006).…”

“…We have recently updated our methodologies for computing doses from the whole body counting and plutonium urinalysis programs (refer to the Technical Basis Document, Daniels et al, 2006). Although the whole body burdens of cesium-137 are generally low and equate to annualized dose contributions of less than 5 mrem, these data do show that people living on Utrōk Atoll and elsewhere in the northern Marshall Islands are exposed to higher intakes of cesium-137 in their diets.…”

“…Knowledge of excretion rates and time of exposure are important when interpreting urinalysis data. A more detailed discussion of the dose calculation methodology is given elsewhere (see under Daniels et al, 2006).…”

“…The radiation dose is what is used to quantify the potential human health risk associated with radiation exposure. The dosimetric data displayed in graphics presented in this report and the associated web site are based on the calendar year committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) from intakes of radionuclides in the year of measurement projected over 70 years (details of methodologies can be found in Appendix 3,Daniels et al, 2006).Dose equivalent is given in units of rem, the conventional units used by federal and state agencies in the United States. The SI unit of dose equivalent is the joule per kilogram or sievert (Sv).…”