RE: Compensation of survivors -- bomb test exercises -- uptake of radionuclides

["Stokes, James" <StokesJ@TTNUS.COM>]

 However, to place all things in context: was that an airburst, surface

burst or subsurface burst.  The fallout levels are orders of magnitude

different for each.



-----Original Message-----

From: Franta, Jaroslav

To: Radsafe (E-mail)

Sent: 8/16/01 3:26 PM

Subject: RE: Compensation of survivors -- bomb test exercises -- uptake of

radionuclides



Dukelow, James S Jr wrote:



If I am remembering correctly, soldiers who participated in bomb test

exercises

were never monitored for internal uptake of radionuclides.  How can you

know

that exposures were small?

<><><><><><><><><><><><>



Comment: 



In at least some cases, internal uptake of radionuclides can be

estimated

from environmental radiation surveys of bomb test sites.

For example, in the case of the British H-bomb tests on (above)

Christmas

Island (Kiribati), extensive environmental radiation surveys  were

conducted

by an independent laboratory hired by the Kiribati Government in March

1981,

three years after they gained independence from the United Kingdom. 

Forty-eight gamma monitoring sites were set up all over Christmas

Island,

and various foodstuffs and drinking water sources were sampled and

tested by

scientists from the National Radiation Laboratory of New Zealand. 

As it turned out, NO RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT in excess of the very low

levels

found everywhere else in the world were found. Average radiation

exposure

levels to residents were found to be LOWER THAN MOST OTHER COUNTRIES,

including New Zealand, due to lower natural terrestrial radioactivity of

the

soil on the atoll (a typical feature of coral atolls). 

The 22-page report was published as "NRL Report No. 1981/9" and is

available

free of charge on request from NRL. 

Nevertheless, veterans of those & other tests (often w. similar

circumstances) continue to make compensation claims, often supported by

wildly fanciful stories propagated by antinuclear activists.



Jaro

frantaj@aecl.ca

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