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Tasslimi A, Bell TR, Moore TP, DeBolt C, Ibrahim A, Matheson J. Vaccine Coverage at 36 Months and 7 Years by Parental Birth Country, Washington State. Pediatrics 2024; 153:e2023064626. [PMID: 38774987 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2023-064626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Ensuring equitable vaccination access for immigrant communities is critical for guiding efforts to redress health disparities, but vaccine coverage data are limited. We evaluated childhood vaccination coverage by parental birth country (PBC) through the linkage of Washington State Immunization Information System data and birth records. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort evaluation of children born in Washington from January 1, 2006 to November 12, 2019. We assessed up-to-date vaccination coverage status for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), and poliovirus vaccines at ages 36 months and 7 years. Children with ≥1 parent(s) born in selected non-US countries were compared with children with 2 US-born parents, using Poisson regression models to provide prevalence ratios. RESULTS We identified 902 909 eligible children, of which 24% had ≥1 non-US-born parent(s). Vaccination coverage at 36 months by PBC ranged from 41.0% to 93.2% for ≥1 MMR doses and ≥3 poliovirus doses and 32.6% to 86.4% for ≥4 DTaP doses. Compared with children of US-born parents, the proportion of children up to date for all 3 vaccines was 3% to 16% higher among children of Filipino-, Indian-, and Mexican-born parents and 33% to 56% lower among children of Moldovan-, Russian-, and Ukrainian-born parents. Within-PBC coverage patterns were similar for all vaccines with some exceptions. Similar PBC-level differences were observed at 7 years of age. CONCLUSIONS The linkage of public health data improved the characterization of community-level childhood immunization outcomes. The findings provide actionable information to understand community-level vaccination determinants and support interventions to enhance vaccine coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Tasslimi
- Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, Washington
| | - Teal R Bell
- Office of Immunization, Washington State Department of Health, Tumwater, Washington
| | - Tyler P Moore
- Office of Immunization, Washington State Department of Health, Tumwater, Washington
| | - Charla DeBolt
- Center for Public Health Medical and Veterinary Science, Office of Health and Science, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, Washington
| | - Anisa Ibrahim
- Pediatric Clinic, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
| | - Jasmine Matheson
- Refugee and Immigrant Health Program, Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, Washington
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Nalley EM, Pirkle CM, Schmidbauer MC, Lewis CJ, Dacks RS, Thompson MD, Sudnovsky MD, Whitney JL, Donahue MJ. Trophic and spatial patterns of contaminants in fishes from the Republic of the Marshall Islands in the equatorial Pacific. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 314:137593. [PMID: 36572359 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.137593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has been affected by marine pollution from militarization and urbanization. To address concerns raised by the Marshall Islands Marine Resources Authority, this study examined concentrations of dissolved contaminants in reef and pelagic fishes in the RMI and assessed potential associated risks. Metals, organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined in reef and pelagic fishes from six atolls: Kwajalein, Majuro, Jaluit, Utirik, Rongelap, and Wotje. Clear trophic patterns emerged for metals. Total arsenic was highest in higher trophic level reef fishes, particularly in the camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion) (>100 μg g-1 total As), but inorganic arsenic was negligible in higher trophic levels and showed an inverse trend with the highest percentages present in parrotfishes and herbivores. Copper and mercury were elevated in higher trophic level reef and pelagic fishes, respectively, and the maximum mercury concentrations (6.45 μg g-1 in Gymnosarda unicolor) were among the highest reported in the Pacific. Conversely, cadmium and lead were highest in lower trophic levels, like surgeonfishes and parrotfishes. PCBs were more clearly linked to locations and were highest at two atolls with military history (Kwajalein and Jaluit) (>U.S. EPA Screening Value of 2.5 ppb). PAHs were ubiquitous across taxa (detected in 97% of samples), but the highest concentrations were in lower trophic levels. Organochlorine pesticides were detected at very low concentrations that do not likely pose a risk. We compare concentrations to established thresholds for human health and find that - for specific locations and species - contaminant concentrations may pose a risk to fish and other marine taxa, as well as human consumers. This study provides baseline information that aids the development of marine conservation and public health recommendations and addresses a data gap that persists for marine pollution throughout the Pacific Islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Nalley
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA.
| | - C M Pirkle
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Office of Public Health Studies, 1960 East-West Road, BioMed Tower 102, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - M C Schmidbauer
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
| | - C J Lewis
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA; University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, School of Life Sciences, 3190 Maile Way, St. John 101, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - R S Dacks
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA; University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, School of Life Sciences, 3190 Maile Way, St. John 101, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - M D Thompson
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Office of Public Health Studies, 1960 East-West Road, BioMed Tower 102, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - M D Sudnovsky
- University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program, College of the Marshall Islands, P.O. Box 1258, Majuro, 96960, Marshall Islands
| | - J L Whitney
- NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, 1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176, Honolulu, HI, 96818, USA
| | - M J Donahue
- University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology, 46-007 Lilipuna Road, Kāne'ohe, HI, 96744, USA
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McElfish PA, Purvis RS, Riklon S, Willis DE. Complicity in sociology and community-based participatory research with Marshallese. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2022; 44 Suppl 1:142-157. [PMID: 35213055 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Complicity with colonialism can be reflected in a particular approach to research, whose interests it serves, and who has power or ownership over the research process. It can also be reflected in neglect, inaction or methodological erasure of groups historically subjected to domination by colonial empires. Social scientists have often failed to account for colonialism's role or the complicit role they have played. We provide a brief historical overview of colonialism in the Marshall Islands and the role social scientists-and their methodological and epistemological approaches-played in the US empire's expansion into the region. We discuss the tenets of Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR), setting the research agenda, co-direction of the research process, research team membership, collaboration challenges, and the action and outputs which have come from our team's health disparities research among the largest Marshallese population in the continental US. We argue CBPR is a promising but imperfect approach to guarding against complicity within medical sociology and situate our methodological approach within ongoing debates regarding objectivity and advocacy within sociology. We reflect on successes and shortcomings of our CBPR efforts to address health disparities among Marshallese, as well as how those successes and shortcomings overlap with questions of complicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pearl A McElfish
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Rachel S Purvis
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Sheldon Riklon
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
| | - Don E Willis
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA
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Ewing LE, Pathak R, Landes RD, Skinner CM, Binz R, Young SG, Riklon S, Stahr S, Su J, Boerma M, McElfish PA, Hauer-Jensen M, Koturbash I. Cytogenetic and epigenetic aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes of northwest Arkansas Marshallese. Int J Radiat Biol 2022; 99:644-655. [PMID: 35939319 PMCID: PMC9929030 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2022.2110319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Nuclear weapons testing in the northern Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958 resulted in ionizing radiation (IR) exposure of the thousands of Marshallese. Furthermore, numerous islands were contaminated by radioactive fallout. Significant increases in cancer and metabolic syndrome incidences have been reported among Marshallese, and potential for further increases looms due to the latency of radiation-induced health effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic and epigenetic effects of exposure to IR that could be associated with radiation-induced disease among the Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Marshallese. MATERIALS AND METHODS We performed analysis of chromosomal aberrations and DNA methylation based on residential and exposure history of NWA Marshallese. RESULTS Analysis of chromosomal aberrations demonstrated higher incidence of genetic rearrangements in women with self-reported history of radiation exposure (95% CI: 0.10, 1.22; p=.022). Further clustering of study participants based on their residential history demonstrated that participants who spent substantial amounts of time (≥6 months) in the northern atolls (thus, in the proximity of nuclear tests) before 1980 had more chromosomal aberrations than their peers who lived only in the southern atolls (95% CI: 0.08, -0.95; p=.021), and that this difference was driven by women. A relationship between the time spent in the northern atolls and increase in chromosomal aberrations was observed: 0.31 increase in chromosomal aberrations for every 10 years spent at northern atolls (95% CI: 0.06, 0.57; p=.020). Finally, significant inverse correlations between the chromosomal aberrations and the extent of DNA methylation of four LINE-1 elements L1PA2, L1PA16, L1PREC1, and L1P4B were identified. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study provide first evidence of the presence of stable genetic and epigenetic rearrangements in peripheral lymphocytes of NWA Marshallese and warrant further studies to analyze the role of radiation exposure in health disparities experienced by this Pacific Island nation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E. Ewing
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Rupak Pathak
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Reid D. Landes
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Charles M. Skinner
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Regina Binz
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Sean G. Young
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Sheldon Riklon
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Shelbie Stahr
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Joseph Su
- Department of Epidemiology, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Marjan Boerma
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Pearl A. McElfish
- College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Martin Hauer-Jensen
- Division of Radiation Health, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Igor Koturbash
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham Str, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
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Rapaport HI, Nikolic-Hughes I, Hughes EW. Initial Strontium-90 concentrations in ocean sediment from the northern Marshall Islands. JOURNAL OF RADIATION RESEARCH AND APPLIED SCIENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrras.2021.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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A method of detecting level change of uranium fluorination mixture in the hopper by gamma-ray dose. Appl Radiat Isot 2021; 174:109712. [PMID: 33930725 DOI: 10.1016/j.apradiso.2021.109712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The measurement of material level change in uranium fluorination has an essential influence on uranium production quality. In this study, a method to determine the level change of uranium fluorination mixture in the hopper by online radiation meter outside hopper is established. We have designed an experiment to study the change of radiation field outside the hopper with a known height of radioactive material to discover its regular pattern. The experimental results show that when the probe is placed 50 mm away from the cylinder wall, the average radiation dose is more significant, and the change of radiation dose measured by the instrument at this position is more evident than that at other positions. Then through the measurement of the external radiation field of the hopper with unknown material level to estimate the material level, and by opening the cover of hopper to verify the accuracy of the material level measurement method. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, a method and formula for judging the mixture material are proposed. This method can quickly determine the level of uranium fluoride mixture in the hopper online, realize the accurate control of material parameters in the process of uranium conversion, and improve the quality of uranium conversion products.
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Moncla LH, Black A, DeBolt C, Lang M, Graff NR, Pérez-Osorio AC, Müller NF, Haselow D, Lindquist S, Bedford T. Repeated introductions and intensive community transmission fueled a mumps virus outbreak in Washington State. eLife 2021; 10:66448. [PMID: 33871357 PMCID: PMC8079146 DOI: 10.7554/elife.66448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2016/2017, Washington State experienced a mumps outbreak despite high childhood vaccination rates, with cases more frequently detected among school-aged children and members of the Marshallese community. We sequenced 166 mumps virus genomes collected in Washington and other US states, and traced mumps introductions and transmission within Washington. We uncover that mumps was introduced into Washington approximately 13 times, primarily from Arkansas, sparking multiple co-circulating transmission chains. Although age and vaccination status may have impacted transmission, our data set could not quantify their precise effects. Instead, the outbreak in Washington was overwhelmingly sustained by transmission within the Marshallese community. Our findings underscore the utility of genomic data to clarify epidemiologic factors driving transmission and pinpoint contact networks as critical for mumps transmission. These results imply that contact structures and historic disparities may leave populations at increased risk for respiratory virus disease even when a vaccine is effective and widely used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise H Moncla
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Allison Black
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Chase DeBolt
- Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, United States
| | - Misty Lang
- Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, United States
| | - Nicholas R Graff
- Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, United States
| | - Ailyn C Pérez-Osorio
- Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, United States
| | - Nicola F Müller
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States
| | - Dirk Haselow
- Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock, United States
| | - Scott Lindquist
- Office of Communicable Disease Epidemiology, Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, United States
| | - Trevor Bedford
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, United States.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
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Smith LM, Stroup WW, Marx DB. POISSON COKRIGING AS A GENERALIZED LINEAR MIXED MODEL. SPATIAL STATISTICS 2020; 35:100399. [PMID: 32864321 PMCID: PMC7451665 DOI: 10.1016/j.spasta.2019.100399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
It is often of interest to predict spatially correlated count outcomes that follow a Poisson distribution. For example, in the environmental sciences we may want to predict pollen counts using temperature or precipitation data as auxiliary variables. To predict a Poisson outcome variable in the presence of an auxiliary variable, Poisson cokriging as a Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) is proposed. This model has a bivariate structure with a Poisson outcome variable and an auxiliary variable. A covariance matrix similar to that used in cokriging is assumed. A simulation study and a real data example using the number of microplastics in the digestive tracts of fish are presented. The results showed that Poisson cokriging methodology can be applied successfully in practice with small average errors and coverage close to 95%. The Poisson cokriging model can be a useful tool for spatial prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynette M. Smith
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 984375 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-4375, USA
| | - Walter W. Stroup
- Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 340 Hardin Hall North Wing, Lincoln, NE 68583-0963, USA
| | - David B. Marx
- Department of Statistics, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 340 Hardin Hall North Wing, Lincoln, NE 68583-0963, USA
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Johansen MP, Child DP, Cresswell T, Harrison JJ, Hotchkis MAC, Howell NR, Johansen A, Sdraulig S, Thiruvoth S, Young E, Whiting SD. Plutonium and other radionuclides persist across marine-to-terrestrial ecotopes in the Montebello Islands sixty years after nuclear tests. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 691:572-583. [PMID: 31325857 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/30/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Since the 1956 completion of nuclear testing at the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, this remote uninhabited island group has been relatively undisturbed (no major remediations) and currently functions as high-value marine and terrestrial habitat within the Montebello/Barrow Islands Marine Conservation Reserves. The former weapons testing sites, therefore, provide a unique opportunity for assessing the fate and behaviour of Anthropocene radionuclides subjected to natural processes across a range of shallow-marine to island-terrestrial ecological units (ecotopes). We collected soil, sediment and biota samples and analysed their radionuclide content using gamma and alpha spectrometry, photostimulated luminescence autoradiography and accelerator mass spectrometry. We found the activity levels of the fission and neutron-activation products have decreased by ~hundred-fold near the ground zero locations. However, Pu concentrations remain elevated, some of which are high relative to most other Australian and international sites (up to 25,050 Bq kg-1 of 239+240+241Pu). Across ecotopes, Pu ranked from highest to lowest in the following order: island soils > dunes > foredunes > marine sediments > and beach intertidal zone. Low values of Pu and other radionuclides were detected in all local wildlife tested including endangered species. Activity concentrations ranked (highest to lowest) terrestrial arthropods > terrestrial mammal and reptile bones > algae > oyster flesh > whole crab > sea turtle bone > stingray and teleost fish livers > sea cucumber flesh > sea turtle skin > teleost fish muscle. The three detonations (one from within a ship and two from 30 m towers) resulted in differing contaminant forms, with the ship detonation producing the highest activity concentrations and finer more inhalable particulate forms. The three sites are distinct in their 240/239Pu and 241/239Pu atom ratios, including the Pu transported by natural process or within migratory living organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - S Sdraulig
- Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency, Yallambie, Australia
| | | | | | - S D Whiting
- Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA, Australia
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Topping CEW, Abella MKIL, Berkowitz ME, Molina MR, Nikolić-Hughes I, Hughes EW, Ruderman MA. In situ measurement of cesium-137 contamination in fruits from the northern Marshall Islands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15414-15419. [PMID: 31308233 PMCID: PMC6681726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903481116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Radioactive contamination of fruits in the northern Marshall Islands, resulting from the US nuclear weapons testing program in the 1940s and 1950s, is still a human health concern, in particular pertaining to island population resettlement and the economic benefit from farming. Over 200 fruits, primarily coconuts and pandanus, were collected on 11 islands from four atolls in the northern Marshall Islands in 2017. The energy spectra from nuclear gamma decays were measured on a research vessel for each fruit in situ. From these recordings, the level of cesium-137 (137Cs) contamination was determined for individual fruits. Comparisons of the results are made to past studies and international food safety standards. There is a broad distribution of values, ranging from below detectable radiation levels to relatively high levels; safety concerns are largest for Bikini Island. A noticeable fraction of fruits from Bikini have significantly higher levels of 137Cs contamination compared with those from all other measured islands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlisle E W Topping
- K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Maveric K I L Abella
- K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | | | - Monica Rouco Molina
- K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Ivana Nikolić-Hughes
- K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
| | - Emlyn W Hughes
- K=1 Project, Center for Nuclear Studies, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027;
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027
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Abstract
High-yield thermonuclear explosions cause enormous radioactive contamination to the environment. These “hydrogen bombs,” when tested on small islands in the ocean, vaporize the land and produce radionuclides that settle in the ocean sediment. Even decades later, significant contamination may remain in the sediment surface and deep into the sediment layers. Measuring the radioactive contamination of the crater sediment is a first step in assessing the overall impact of nuclear weapons testing on the ocean ecosystems. We find radiation levels orders of magnitude above background for plutonium-(239,240), americium-241, and bismuth-207 in the top 25 cm of sediment across the entire Bravo bomb crater, the location of the largest aboveground US nuclear weapons test. On March 1, 1954, the United States conducted its largest thermonuclear weapon test in Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands; the detonation was code-named “Castle Bravo.” Radioactive deposits in the ocean sediment at the bomb crater are widespread and high levels of contamination remain today. One hundred thirty cores were collected from the top 25 cm of surface sediment at ocean depths approaching 60 m over a ∼2-km2 area, allowing for a presentation of radiation maps of the Bravo crater site. Radiochemical analyses were performed on the following radionuclides: plutonium-(239,240), plutonium-238, americium-241, bismuth-207, and cesium-137. Large values of plutonium-(239,240), americium-241, and bismuth-207 are found. Comparisons are made to core sample results from other areas in the northern Marshall Islands.
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Background gamma radiation and soil activity measurements in the northern Marshall Islands. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15425-15434. [PMID: 31308236 PMCID: PMC6681725 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1903421116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
From 1946 to 1958, the United States tested 67 nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands, a remote constellation of atolls in the Pacific Ocean that was then a US trust territory. Two atolls, Bikini and Enewetak, were used as ground zero for the tests, which caused unprecedented environmental contamination and, for the indigenous peoples of the islands, long-term adverse health effects. In addition to the populations of Bikini and Enewetak, the people of Rongelap and Utirik were also affected by radioactive fallout from the largest nuclear test the United States has ever conducted, the Bravo test held March 1, 1954. This article presents a picture of current radiological conditions by examining external gamma radiation and soil radionuclide activity concentrations. We report on measurements of external gamma radiation on 9 islands in 4 atolls in the northern Marshall Islands, all of which were affected by the US nuclear testing program from 1946 to 1958 (Enjebi, Ikuren, and Japtan in Enewetak Atoll; Bikini and Enyu in Bikini Atoll; Naen in Rongelap Atoll; and Aon, Elluk, and Utirik in Utirik Atoll). We also report americium-241, cesium-137, plutonium-238, and plutonium-239,240 activity concentrations in the soil samples for 11 islands in 4 northern atolls (Enewetak, Japtan, Medren, and Runit in Enewetak Atoll; Bikini and Enyu in Bikini Atoll; Naen and Rongelap in Rongelap Atoll; and Aon, Elluk, and Utirik in Utirik Atoll) and from Majuro Island, Majuro Atoll in the southern Marshall Islands. Our results show low external gamma radiation levels on some islands in the Enewetak Atoll and Utirik Atoll, and elevated levels on Enjebi Island in the Enewetak Atoll, on Bikini Atoll, and on Naen Island in the Rongelap Atoll. We perform ordinary kriging on external gamma radiation measurements to provide interpolated maps. We find that radionuclides are absent from all Majuro soil samples, and that they are present at highest activity concentrations in samples from Runit and Enjebi islands (Enewetak Atoll), Bikini Island (Bikini Atoll), and Naen Island (Rongelap Atoll). We contextualize all results by making comparisons between islands and to various standards, as well as to regions of the world affected by nuclear accidents. We also discuss implications for informed decision-making by the Marshallese and local atoll governments and their people on issues pertaining to island resettlement.
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Lin W, Yu K, Wang Y, Liu X, Ning Q, Huang X. Radioactive level of coral reefs in the South China Sea. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 142:43-53. [PMID: 31232321 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we examined radioactivity simultaneously in surface marine sediments and coral skeletons collected from 12 locations of the fringing and atoll reefs in the South China Sea. Radioactive level declined from the fringing reefs to atoll reefs because of input of terrigenous minerals in the fringing reefs. Radioactivity was higher in coral skeletons than in marine sediments because of the high 228Ra activity in coral skeletons. Additionally, an abnormally low 226Ra/238U activity ratio (<0.1) of marine sediments in coral reefs was attributed to the biological process of active uptake of 226Ra and 238U from seawater by coral polyps rather than the ingrowth process in the 238U-230Th-226Ra decay chain. Several radiological indices were evaluated in coral reefs and significantly lower than recommended values. Particularly, the average Raeq in the atoll reefs was <5% of the world's average of Raeq. Our results displayed typically radioactive status in coral reefs without close-in fallout of anthropogenic radionuclides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuhui Lin
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China
| | - Kefu Yu
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Yinghui Wang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China.
| | - Xinming Liu
- Guangxi Academy of Oceanography, Nanning 530022, China
| | - Qiuyun Ning
- Guangxi Academy of Oceanography, Nanning 530022, China
| | - Xueyong Huang
- Coral Reef Research Center of China, School of Marine Sciences, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China; Guangxi Laboratory on the Study of Coral Reefs in the South China Sea, Nanning 530004, China
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Larrue S, Butaud J, Daehler CC, Ballet S, Chadeyron J, Oyono R. Persistence at the final stage of volcanic island ontogeny: Abiotic predictors explain native plant species richness on 111 remote Pacific atolls. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12208-12220. [PMID: 30598812 PMCID: PMC6303760 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The final island ontogeny of the general dynamic model (GDM) (i.e., before island submergence) in tropical oceans corresponds to the coral atoll stage. Here, we examined whether the species richness of native vascular plants (indigenous and endemic species) on atolls is controlled by spatial and/or physical processes. We also predicted that atolls strongly affected by anthropogenic disturbance would have lower native species richness than predicted by spatial and physical processes. LOCATION Marshall Islands, Kiribati Islands, Nauru, Niue, Johnston, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Pitcairn Islands (Pacific Ocean). TAXON Native vascular plants. METHODS We used stepwise regression to test the relative influence of five biogeographic variables on native species richness. Relationships were assessed for the full set of 111 Pacific coral atolls, as well as for atoll subsets ranging from 9 to 45 atolls. An index of human impact was then estimated, and residuals in the regression model predicting species richness from biogeographic variables were compared with the level of human impact. RESULTS A regression model including atoll area, highest atoll elevation, the stepping stone distances from the nearest raised atoll and volcanic island explained native species richness on the 111 Pacific coral atolls. Regression models for different archipelagos and atoll subsets were also significant. Endemic species richness was significantly linked with highest atoll elevation and the stepping stone distances from the nearest raised atoll. Residuals in the biogeographic regression model were barely related to human impact across the 111 atolls but were significantly related to human impact in the Kiribati atolls. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Native species richness on atolls is mainly controlled by physical and spatial characteristics. However, anthropogenic disturbances have altered the predicted pattern of native species richness leading to a lower model fit in some atoll subsets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Larrue
- University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), GEOLAB‐CNRSClermont‐FerrandFrance
| | | | | | - Stéphane Ballet
- Aix‐Marseille Université, CNRS, Centrale MarseilleMarseilleFrance
| | - Julien Chadeyron
- Department of GeographyUniversity Clermont Auvergne (UCA)Clermont‐FerrandFrance
| | - Roger Oyono
- University of French Polynesia, GAATIFaa’aFrench Polynesia
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Buesseler KO, Charette MA, Pike SM, Henderson PB, Kipp LE. Lingering radioactivity at the Bikini and Enewetak Atolls. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 621:1185-1198. [PMID: 29096952 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.10.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We made an assessment of the levels of radionuclides in the ocean waters, seafloor and groundwater at Bikini and Enewetak Atolls where the US conducted nuclear weapons tests in the 1940's and 50's. This included the first estimates of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) derived from radium isotopes that can be used here to calculate radionuclide fluxes in to the lagoon waters. While there is significant variability between sites and sample types, levels of plutonium (239,240Pu) remain several orders of magnitude higher in lagoon seawater and sediments than what is found in rest of the world's oceans. In contrast, levels of cesium-137 (137Cs) while relatively elevated in brackish groundwater are only slightly higher in the lagoon water relative to North Pacific surface waters. Of special interest was the Runit dome, a nuclear waste repository created in the 1970's within the Enewetak Atoll. Low seawater ratios of 240Pu/239Pu suggest that this area is the source of about half of the Pu in the Enewetak lagoon water column, yet radium isotopes suggest that SGD from below the dome is not a significant Pu source. SGD fluxes of Pu and Cs at Bikini were also relatively low. Thus radioactivity associated with seafloor sediments remains the largest source and long term repository for radioactive contamination. Overall, Bikini and Enewetak Atolls are an ongoing source of Pu and Cs to the North Pacific, but at annual rates that are orders of magnitude smaller than delivered via close-in fallout to the same area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken O Buesseler
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
| | - Matthew A Charette
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Steven M Pike
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Paul B Henderson
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Lauren E Kipp
- Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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