NCJ Number
155738
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: (May 1995) Pages: 356-367
Date Published
1995
Length
12 pages
Annotation
The decomposition of bodies and the decay of associated cultural materials -- including clothing, personal ornaments, caskets, and grave goods -- was investigated based on a series of exhumations on a small sand island on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.
Abstract
Between 1946 and 1958 the United States of America detonated over 60 nuclear and thermonuclear devices in the northern Marshall Islands. To provide independent verification of the estimates of plutonium intake through pathway modeling, a series of six exhumations was conducted by the authors. Although the primary purpose of the exhumations was to recover sufficient bone tissue to conduct studies on the plutonium intake of individuals living on Rongelap Atoll, they provided a unique opportunity to assess the decay rate of human bodies in the coral sand soils of the Marshall Islands. In addition to the body samples to be collected, soil samples had to be taken above the burial, and if the casket had collapsed, both next to the bone samples and below the body, to assess the effect of sample contamination by plutonium particles in the soil, if any. In discussing materials and methods, this article addresses the limitations of the data set, interment history, environmental conditions, the exhumation procedure, and documentation. In discussing the results, the article focuses on the decomposition of human remains and the deterioration of associated death scene materials. Future research directions are also considered. 7 tables and 68 references