Reconstruction of chronic dose equivalents for Rongelap and Utirik residents: 1954 to 1980

From June 1946 to August 1958, the US Department of Defense and Atomic Energy Commission conducted nuclear weapons tests in the Northern Marshall Islands. BRAVO, an aboveground test in the Castle series, resulted in radioactive fallout contaminating Rongelap and Utirik Atolls. On March 3, 1954, the inhabitants of these atolls were relocated until radiation exposure rates declined to acceptable levels. Environmental and personnel radiological monitoring programs were begun in the mid 1950's by Brookhaven National Laboratory to ensure that dose equivalents received or committed remained within US Federal Radiation Council Guidelines for members of the general public. Body burden and dose equivalent histories along with activity ingestion patterns post return are presented. Dosimetric methods, results, and internal dose equivalent distributions for subgroups of the population are also described