Radioactivity in parts of the Marshall Islands is far higher than Chernobyl, study says

[soryang]

By SUSANNE RUST | Los Angeles Times | Published: July 15, 2019

LOS ANGELES (Tribune News Service) — Think of the most radioactive landscapes on the planet and the names Chernobyl and Fukushima may come to mind.

Yet research published Monday suggests that parts of the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific, where the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests during the Cold War, should be added to the list.

In a peer-reviewed study, Columbia University researchers report that soil on four isles of the Marshall Islands contains concentrations of nuclear isotopes that greatly exceed those found near the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear power plants. On one isle, those levels are reported to be 1,000 times higher.

All four of the islands are currently uninhabited, and three of the four — Bikini, Enjebi and Runit — are in atolls where nuclear testing took place. But one of the islands, Naen, which measures less than an acre, is in Rongelap Atoll, nearly 100 miles away.

More at the link:

https://www.stripes.com/news/us/radioactivity-in-parts-of-the-marshall-islands-is-far-higher-than-chernobyl-study-says-1.590463

[Jane Austin]

1. Which probably explains why my late and dear

husband had a vicious cancer when he was 38, survived that, and then died of a different cancer at age 64.

He was a year old when his family was stationed at Kwagelan (sp).

They used to go out at dawn (I think) to watch the nuclear tests.

His mother became blind, and his sister - when they opened her up for a bowel obstruction - discovered that much of her digestive tract was in backwards.

[soryang]

2. Sorry to hear about those tragedies

There must be many victims.

I remember when I worked at the VA many years ago, I'd hear people talking about the "nuclear veterans" but it was a specialty group at the Board in DC that my section didn't work on. I had to work on the new specialties for service connection for "agent orange," and PTSD, so I never learned about it. I wish I knew more about it, but on the other hand, in the back of my mind after I got off active duty I didn't want to know any more about it.

I hope you found out what you needed to know.

[Jane Austin]

3. Thanks.

We knew for a long time that they were affected, but now all I know is that my wonderful husband is gone.

In his last years he discovered a blog for people who were affected by those tests.

They actually used to tow the target ships into Kwagelan harbor. That's where the native kids swam.

[Frustratedlady]

4. Back in 1972, my brother had surgery for cancer. The surgeon, who was in his 70s,

called the doctors' lounge to tell anyone interested to come up and look at this cancer. He'd never, in all his years of surgery, seen anything like it. The cancer went from his front to his spine like an arrow. Within a few weeks, my brother was gone weighing just 67#.

He had been in the U. S. Navy and I heard the sailors stood on beaches during these tests. I never heard if he was one of them, but that was my first suspicion.

[FBaggins]

5. Hardly a surprise

A nuclear explosion puts substantially more radioactive material into the environment (and more dangerous isotopes) compared to a reactor meltdown... and there were over 100 nuclear "tests" in the Marshall Islands.