The fate of the island tried 23 nuclear bombs

Bikini Island in the center of the Pacific is the site of 23 nuclear bomb tests in the middle of the last century.

According to IFL Science, scientists from Columbia University, USA, measured gamma-ray radiation in six islands in the Marshall Islands, including Bikin Island i. The last time a nuclear bomb was tested on the island was 58 years ago. The source of radiation is mainly from Cesium-137 because the bombs produced with a half-life of 30 years.

In the study published in the Proceedings of the American Academy of Sciences, the authors confirm that 90% of radioactivity in Bikini comes from Cesium-137 and Barium-173, which can be determined by the release of gamma rays. 662,000 eV energy.

A nuclear bomb test on Bikini Island.(Photo: Everett Historical).

With radiation mainly coming from a source, calculations based on previous measurement results and decay rates can help predict the state of the region today. But with Bikini Island, predictions became too optimistic.

According to research results, low levels of radioactivity at the ring-shaped island of Enewetak, inhabited by almost all residents living on the islands.

However, the average amount of radiation a person absorbs if he lives on Bikini Island is 184 millirems a year. The area on the island has much higher radioactivity than off the coast. This number can be multiplied many times and reached a dangerous level if you eat fish or fruits on the island.

For comparison, the research team measured the amount of radioactivity absorbed at Central Park in New York, USA. The 100 millirem radiation level per year here is higher than all the islands tested, except Bikini Island." Gamma radiation in the environment is quite high due to the abundant source of granite in the park, " the researchers said. Granite often contains radioactive elements like thorium.

Efforts to relocate on Bikini Island are stopped due to radioactivity, which is still a major health risk. Under the agreement between the US and local authorities, relocation will not take place until the amount of radiation absorbed into the human body reaches less than 100 millirems per year.