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Back to New Zealand Fallout Monitoring System Countries
Starting in 1957, New Zealand/Aotearoa established a monitoring system to detect radiation levels across the Pacific, sampling air, water, milk and fish at stations located throughout the region. Fallout from French nuclear weapons testing was detected in Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu, New Zealand/Aotearoa, the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau. While government monitoring suggested that radiation “levels constituted no public health hazard“, further research is required into the human and environmental implications of fallout.
The results were published by the Ministry of Health’s National Radiation Laboratory in the annual reports, which are available for download below. The data up until 1993 were also summarized in the following comprehensive analysis:
K.M. Matthews. (1992/1993) Radioactive fallout in the South Pacific: A History. Part 2: Radioactivity measurements in the Pacific Islands. Christchurch, National Radiation Laboratory. Download.
Annual Reports
1968: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Results of Extended Monitoring of Fallout from French Nuclear Tests in the Pacific: Annual Summary 1968.” Download.
1969: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Measurements on Samples from Fiji and Rarotonga: Annual Summary 1969.” Download.
1970: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Pacific Area Monitoring: Annual Summary 1970.” Download.
1971: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1971.” Download.
1972: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1972.” Download.
1973: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1973.” Download.
1974: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1974.”Download.
1975: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1975.” Download.
1976: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1976.” Download.
1977: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1977.” Download.
1978: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1978.” Download.
1979: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1979.” Download.
1980: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1980.” Download.
1981: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1981.” Download.
1982: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1982.” Download.
1983: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1983.” Download.
1984: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1984.” Download.
1985: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1985.” Download.
1986: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1986.” Download.
1987: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1987.” Download.
1988: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1988.” Download.
1989: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1989.” Download.
1990: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1990.” Download.
1991: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1991.” Download.
1992: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1992.” Download.
1993: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1993.” Download.
1994: “Environmental Radioactivity: Annual Report 1994.” Download.
1995: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 1995.” Download.
1996: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 1996.” Download.
1997: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report: NRL-F/77 1997.” Download.
1998: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report: NRL-F/78 1998.” Download.
1999: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report: NRL-F/79 1999.” Download.
2000: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report: NRL-F/80 2000.” Download.
2001: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report: NRL-F/81 2001.” Download.
2002: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2002: NRL-F/82 2002.” Download.
2003: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2003: NRL-F/83 2003.” Download.
2004: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2004: NRL-F/84 2005.” Download.
2005: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2005: NRL-F/85 2006.” Download.
2006: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2006: NRL-F/86 2007.” Download.
2007: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2007: NRL-F/87 2008.” Download.
2008: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2008: NRL-F/88 2009.” Download.
2009: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2009: NRL-F/89 2010.” Download.
2010: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2010: NRL-F/90 2011.” Download.
2011: “Environmental Radioactivity in New Zealand and Rarotonga: Annual Report 2011.” Download.