skip to contentNational Cancer Institute
National Cancer Institute U.S. National Institutes of Health www.cancer.gov
Radiation Epidemiology Branch

Radiation Dosimetry and Cancer Risk Estimates for the Population of the Marshall Islands

Between 1946 and 1958, the United States tested 66 nuclear weapons on or near Bikini and Enewetak atolls, which had previously been evacuated. Populations living elsewhere in the Marshall Islands archipelago were exposed to measurable levels of radioactive fallout from 20 of these tests.

Map of the Marshall Islands indicating the nuclear test site atolls, Enewetak and Bikini, in the northwest, and 4 islands to the east that were evacuated following BRAVO detonation on Bikini atoll.

REB scientists have completed a robust analysis of radiation dose and related cancer risks for residents of the Marshall Islands. The data to conduct this research were obtained by means of an extensive effort over three years to collect and analyze all available historical information. These data were reviewed and systematically integrated with more contemporary environmental radiation measurement data. This comprehensive approach allowed investigators to construct exposure estimates for every atoll and from all nuclear tests conducted in the Marshall Islands.

To request copies of the journal, please contact Jenna Nober at noberj@mail.nih.gov or 301-496-5067.