Preliminary Survey Of Niue Island’s Radiation

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30055, 13 February 1963, Page 20

Preliminary Survey Of Niue Island’s Radiation

A preliminary survey of Niue Island, where there is high natural radiation, is to be made by Dr. A C. Stevenson, director of the population genettcss research unit of the British Medical Research Council, who is visiting Christchurch. His survey will decide whether a joint British and New Zealand party will go to the island to study the effects, if any, of this natural radiation on the population. “It has nothing to do- with radioactive fall-out,” said Dr. Stevenson.

He said he was in Christchurch to confer with Mr G. E. Roth, director of the Dominion X-ray and Radium Laboratory. He was conferring with other interested persons while he was in New Zealand.

There were four other big areas of high natural radiation in the world, said Dr. Stevenson. One was in Brazil, one on the west coast of south India, one in western Ceylon, and one in the Nile delta.

On an average in most parts of the world people would receive about three rads, these being units of radiation absorbed in 30 years (a generation). A high background area was one where the people were receiving more than 10 times that, said Dr. Stevenson. Niue Island “Ideal**

A study could be made in a high natural radiation area of the cumulative effects of radiation over many years. A proper statistical survey of conditions was possible Niue Island was Ideal from a population point of view because it was a compact community. There were still a number of uncertainties which were difficult to settle at a long distance, and that was why he was making the preliminary visit, said Dr. Stevenson. “There is no point in embarking on heavy expenditure without a reconnaissance. We have a team lined up for the investigation, but this may not come off,” he said. “The members of the British team are from my own staff, and include two nurses. If all goes well they will leave England in June. I will spend only six days on Niue on the present trip. *‘ln all the other areas where there is high natural radiation it is attributable to thorium. Niue Island is the

only place where it is . attributable to uranium and radium. It is volcanic in origin. We don’t know why it should be in this island and not in others. What we would like to do is to study the papulation and see whether we can find anything attributable to this high radiation background. "If the investigation Is made we will try to see everyone and give a medicalcheck. After about six months we will move on to another island of similar population and no high radiation background so that we can compare the two. 'Tn my opinion we won’t find anything, but the investigation will still be useful in showing that there can be this high level of radiation without damage. One of the main reasons for my coming is to re-do the radiation measurements,” said Dr. Stevenson. New Zealand Interest "Our laboratory is interested in radiation levels in the Pacific whether they are attributable to natural deposits or to fall-out,” said Mr Roth. Recent tests and a survey of fall-out had been made, but they were being combined with a survey of natural radioactivity. Since the World Health Organisation, as well as the British Medical Research Council, was intensely interested in this problem the Department of Health was co-operating in the programme, he said.