ONE RADIOACTIVE ACCIDENT & MANY CONSEQUENCES

What came after a major nuclear test of Castle Bravo was an unintended major consequence, when the Marshall Islands became a radioactive hotspot while its people became test subjects. This was known as Project 4.1, where the people of the Marshall Islands (this is the westernized terminology for the residents of Aelon Kein Ad) were studied over how they would be affected by high doses of radiation while being provided medical care. None of the people were made aware of the tests, the purpose of them, nor did they give their consent to the government.

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  The study concluded that radiation injuries consisted of circulatory and pulmonary symptoms as there were reports of people’s lips turning black, sneezing and coughing as well as anorexia (a lack of a desire to eat), vomiting, and diarrhea. On top of that, the people of Rongelap Atoll, which received the highest dose of radiation, dealt with weeping (discharge of pus) skin lesions and peeling. Despite this, the project concluded that there are no long term health effects from ingesting or inhaling radiation and that there was no additional radiation exposure following the bomb.

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While the people of Bikini Atoll were provided medical care, they were relocated to other Atolls of the islands including Utirik, Rongelap, and Ailinginae with limited resources. The military and the US government decided where they would go and what would happen to their homes. Admittedly, during the study, the military allowed a couple days to pass before there was announcement of the radioactive fallout, allowing residents to be severely contaminated.

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  Considering the purpose of Project 4.1, it is worth noting that the government allowed residents to return to the Marshall Islands in 1957 when there was still some lingering radiation. AEC scientists at the meeting for the decision thought it would be a great idea as there was an opportunity to gather data on people living in a contaminated environment.​

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  Unfortunately, despite their resilience, the people of the Marshall Islands face many issues in today’s time. For instance, about 170 cases of cancers in the people of the Marshall Islands, alive between 1947 and 1972, can be attributed to radiation from the fallout of the Castle Bravo test. Today, cancer from radiation and birth defects as well as increasing sea levels are a common problem seen on the Marshall Islands.  On top of that, most attempts at compensation have been unsuccessful or dismissed by the court systems. For example, the Republic of the Marshall Islands proposed that nations reduce nuclear weapons and use nuclear power to promote peace in society, only for the US Court of Appeals to dismiss the lawsuit.

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  Despite their home being contaminated with radiation and having calls for reparations dismissed, the people of the Marshall Islands continue to be resilient and maintain integrity for their history. Their trials are one of the reasons why we have such an abundance of knowledge over radiation, its danger on life and the atmosphere, as well as the social implications it has on all of us.

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Sources:

Naval Medical Research Institute. “Study of Response of Human Beings Accidentally Exposed to Significant Fallout Radiation, Operation CASTLE, Project 4.1.” Eugene Crockite, V.P. Bond, L.E. Browning, W.H. Chapman, S.H. Cohn, R.A. Conard, C.L. Dunham, R.S. Farr, W.S. Hall, R. Sharp, and N.R. Shulman. Atomic Heritage Foundation. (October 1954). Accessed March 28, 2020. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/castle-bravo.

Sharp, Robert and Chapman William. “Exposure of Marshall Islanders and American Military Personnel to Fallout by Robert Sharp and William Chapman.” (March 1957). WT-938, Box 2. Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Accessed March 25, 2020.  https://www.osti.gov/opennet/servlets/purl/16061912.pdf

Cole, Carolyn. “U.S. Authority Testing the Water near a Bomb Crater on Runit Island.”  Accessed March, 27, 2020. https://www.latimes.com/projects/marshall-islands-nuclear-testing-sea-level-rise/static/image/marshall-islands-radiation06-2000.jpg.

Sharp, Robert and Chapman William. “Exposure of Marshall Islanders and American Military Personnel to Fallout by Robert Sharp and William Chapman.” (March 1957). WT-938, Box 2. Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Accessed March 25, 2020.https://www.osti.gov/opennet/servlets/purl/16061912.pdf

Mydans, Carl. “Bikini 1946.” (1946). Accessed March 28, 2020 http://www.bikiniatoll.com/womanfamily.jpg.

Chapman., S. H. Cohn., R. A. Conard., C. L. Dunham., R. S. Farr., W. S. Hall., R. Sharp., and N. R. Shulman. “Study of Response of Human Beings Accidentally Exposed to Significant Fallout Radiation.” (October 1954). WT-923. AD-465295. Naval Medical Research Institute, Bethesda, Maryland, and Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisco, California, United States. Accessed March 23, 2020.  http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/issues/testing/Marshall%20Islamds%201954.pdf

Conrad, Robert A. “Fallout: The Experiences of a Medical Team In the Care of a Marshallese Population Accidentally Exposed to Fallout Radiation.” (September 1992). BNL-46444. DE92 007449. Brookhaven National Lab, Upton, New York, Canada. Accessed March 24, 2020. https://inis.iaea.org/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/24/037/24037958.pdf

Behr, Holger. “Islands and atolls of the Marshall Islands. Uninhabited ones are labeled in grey.” (March 3, 2008). Accessed April 3, 2020 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/MH_-map_A.png

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Marshall Islands.” Accessed March 25, 2020. https://www.atomicheritage.org/location/marshall-islands

Atomic Heritage Foundation. “Castle Bravo.” (March 1, 2017). Accessed March 24, 2020. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/castle-bravo.

Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments. “Chapter 12: The Marshallese.” Georgetown University, D.C., Washington, United States. Accessed March 26, 2020. https://bioethicsarchive.georgetown.edu/achre/final/chap12_3.html