Title: Radiation Exposures and Compensation of Victims of French Atmospheric Nuclear Tests in Polynesia Show Chinese title

Title: 法国在波利尼西亚进行的大气核试验受害者的辐射暴露与赔偿

Abstract: Between 1966 and 1974, France conducted 41 atmospheric nuclear weapon tests in Polynesia. Radioactive fallout impacted downwind atolls and islands leading to the external and internal exposure of the local populations to ionizing radiation. By law, individuals who were exposed to radiation in the context of these tests can file compensation claims with the French government if they develop certain radiogenic cancers. A claimant who meets the basic eligibility criteria (place, time, and type of disease) automatically benefits from the presumption of a causal link between radiation exposure and the development of their illness, unless the exposure is deemed too low. Since 2017, an effective dose threshold of 1 mSv per year has been used in the claims adjudication process. Decisions as to whether claimants have met this 1 mSv threshold in a given year are often made on the basis of data from government dose reconstruction studies carried out in 2005 and 2006. Using new information available from recently declassified documents on the radiological impact of French atmospheric nuclear tests in Polynesia, as well as atmospheric transport modeling of radioactive fallout, this article shows that maximum doses to the public for key atmospheric tests may have been underestimated by factors of 2 to 10 and estimates that the total population exposed above the compensation threshold of 1 mSv/yr could be greater than ~110,000. This latter result corresponds to about 90% of the entire population of French Polynesia at the time of the atmospheric tests. Integrating these updated dose estimates into the claim adjudication process would enlarge the pool of eligible claimants by a factor of 10. Also discussed are the legal and policy implications of these findings. Show Chinese abstract

Abstract: 1966年至1974年间，法国在波利尼西亚进行了41次大气核武器试验。 放射性沉降物影响了下风向的环礁和岛屿，导致当地居民受到电离辐射的外部和内部暴露。 根据法律，这些试验背景下受到辐射暴露的个人，如果患上某些放射性癌症，可以向法国政府提出赔偿申请。 符合基本资格标准（地点、时间以及疾病类型）的申请人，可自动推定其疾病与辐射暴露之间存在因果关系，除非认为暴露水平过低。 自2017年起，在索赔裁决过程中使用了每年1毫西弗的有效剂量阈值。 对于某一年是否达到该1毫西弗阈值的决定，通常基于2005年和2006年政府进行的剂量重建研究数据。 利用最近解密文件中关于法国在波利尼西亚大气核试验的辐射影响的新信息，以及放射性沉降物的大气传输模拟，本文表明，关键大气试验对公众的最大剂量可能被低估了2至10倍，并估计在每年1毫西弗/年的补偿阈值以上的受辐射总人口可能超过约110,000人。 这一结果相当于当时法属波利尼西亚总人口的约90%。 将这些更新后的剂量估计纳入索赔裁决过程，将使符合条件的索赔人数量增加10倍。 还讨论了这些发现的法律和政策影响。