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In situ measurement of cesium-137 contamination in fruits from the northern Marshall Islands

2019; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 116; Issue: 31 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.1903481116

1091-6490

Carlisle E.W. Topping, Maveric Abella, Michael Berkowitz, Monica Rouco Molina, Ivana Nikolić-Hughes, Emlyn Hughes, M. Ruderman,

Nuclear and radioactivity studies

Significance The United States performed nuclear testing on Bikini and Enewetak Atolls in the northern Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. Fallout from the largest test Bravo, detonated in 1954, spread over a large area, exposing to radiation not only land and ocean but also Marshallese people living in neighboring atolls, including Rongelap and Utirik. Cesium-137, present in the fallout, has a half-life of approximately 30 y and is readily absorbed by food crops, thus representing a health hazard for island inhabitants. In situ measurements of cesium-137 content were made for fruits from 11 islands on four atolls. Contamination remains above limits set by international safety standards in some measured fruits, and several islands display contamination from this human-made radionuclide.