Biomaterial Database

Ground deposition of radionuclides in French Polynesia resulting from atmospheric nuclear weapons tests at Mururoa and Fangataufa atolls. 2020

Vladimir Drozdovitch, and Florent de Vathaire, and André Bouville

Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address: drozdovv@mail.nih.gov.

This paper presents the results of the first comprehensive estimation of the ground deposition density of radionuclides in French Polynesia resulting from the 41 atmospheric nuclear weapons tests that were conducted between 1966 and 1974 at Mururoa and Fangataufa. For each test, the deposition density at the time of arrival of fallout was estimated for 33 radionuclides either from measurements of total ground deposition or from measurements of total beta-concentration in filtered air and exposure rate at different locations in French Polynesia. The results of the measurements were mainly taken from reports that were recently de-classified by the French Ministry of Defense. The highest total deposition densities in inhabited islands and atolls occurred in Gambier: 6.1 × 107 Bq m-2 after test Aldébaran conducted on 2 July 1966 and 9.2 × 106 Bq m-2 after test Phoebé conducted on 8 August 1971. Next was Tureia with deposition densities of 1.6 × 107 Bq m-2 after test Arcturus of 2 July 1967 and 1.2 × 107 Bq m-2 after test Encelade of 12 June 1971. In Tahiti, the most populated island in French Polynesia, major fallout occurred after tests Centaure of 17 July 1974 (3.4 × 106 Bq m-2), Sirius of 4 October 1966 (4.4 × 105 Bq m-2) and Arcturus of 2 July 1967 (1.1 × 105 Bq m-2); these three tests contributed about 94% to the total deposition density of radioactive fallout in Tahiti from all 41 tests and around 85% of the 131I deposition density. The results of this study are being used to reconstruct the radiation dose to the thyroid gland for the 950 subjects of a case-control study of thyroid cancer among French Polynesians exposed as children and adolescents to fallout from the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests conducted in 1966-1974.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011114	Polynesia	The collective name for the islands of the central Pacific Ocean, including the Austral Islands, Cook Islands, Easter Island, HAWAII; NEW ZEALAND; Phoenix Islands, PITCAIRN ISLAND; SAMOA; TONGA; Tuamotu Archipelago, Wake Island, and Wallis and Futuna Islands. Polynesians are of the Caucasoid race, but many are of mixed origin. Polynesia is from the Greek poly, many + nesos, island, with reference to the many islands in the group. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p966 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p426)	Easter Island,Tahiti,Cook Islands,French Polynesia,Niue,Tokelau,Tokelau Islands,Wake Island,Wallis and Futuna Islands
D011834	Radiation Monitoring	The observation, either continuously or at intervals, of the levels of radiation in a given area, generally for the purpose of assuring that they have not exceeded prescribed amounts or, in case of radiation already present in the area, assuring that the levels have returned to those meeting acceptable safety standards.	Monitoring, Radiation
D011847	Radioactive Fallout	The material that descends to the earth or water well beyond the site of a surface or subsurface nuclear explosion. (McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Chemical and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Fallout, Radioactive,Fallouts, Radioactive,Radioactive Fallouts
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D016022	Case-Control Studies	Comparisons that start with the identification of persons with the disease or outcome of interest and a control (comparison, referent) group without the disease or outcome of interest. The relationship of an attribute is examined by comparing both groups with regard to the frequency or levels of outcome over time.	Case-Base Studies,Case-Comparison Studies,Case-Referent Studies,Matched Case-Control Studies,Nested Case-Control Studies,Case Control Studies,Case-Compeer Studies,Case-Referrent Studies,Case Base Studies,Case Comparison Studies,Case Control Study,Case Referent Studies,Case Referrent Studies,Case-Comparison Study,Case-Control Studies, Matched,Case-Control Studies, Nested,Case-Control Study,Case-Control Study, Matched,Case-Control Study, Nested,Case-Referent Study,Case-Referrent Study,Matched Case Control Studies,Matched Case-Control Study,Nested Case Control Studies,Nested Case-Control Study,Studies, Case Control,Studies, Case-Base,Studies, Case-Comparison,Studies, Case-Compeer,Studies, Case-Control,Studies, Case-Referent,Studies, Case-Referrent,Studies, Matched Case-Control,Studies, Nested Case-Control,Study, Case Control,Study, Case-Comparison,Study, Case-Control,Study, Case-Referent,Study, Case-Referrent,Study, Matched Case-Control,Study, Nested Case-Control
D054043	Nuclear Weapons	A weapon that derives its destructive force from nuclear fission and/or fusion.	Atomic Bombs,Bombs, Atomic,Bombs, Hydrogen,Hydrogen Bombs,Nuclear Weapons Testing,Dirty Bombs,Atomic Bomb,Bomb, Atomic,Bomb, Dirty,Bomb, Hydrogen,Bombs, Dirty,Dirty Bomb,Hydrogen Bomb,Nuclear Weapon,Nuclear Weapons Testings,Testing, Nuclear Weapons,Testings, Nuclear Weapons,Weapon, Nuclear,Weapons Testing, Nuclear,Weapons Testings, Nuclear,Weapons, Nuclear
D062312	Islands	Tracts of land completely surrounded by water.