-=

13

=.

All in all, the effects varied with the amount of radiation

dose received, with the greatest exposure at Rongelayp and
the least amount at Utirik.

There were early acute effects

at Rongelap, including skin burns, loss of hair, vomiting
and depression of blood elements. _ Exposure of the thyroid
gland occurred in people at Rongelap, Ailinginae and Utirik
from gamma radiation during the initial fallout and from
other radionuclides ingested with food and water.

Brookhaven

Report 5-10.
Because of the latency period between exposure and the
onset of cancer and genetic effects, it is reasonable to be
concerned about health effects in the Rongelap, Ailinginae
and Utirik populations for some time to come.

This is also

true if there is residual radiation at those islands which
could result in exposure via food.

Biological Effects of Ionizing
Radiation

In this country the standard work on the subject of human
health effects as a result of radiation exposure is a report
entitled, The Effects on Populations of Exposure to Low Levels
of Ionizing Radiation.

This report was prepared by the

prestigious National Academy of Sciences Advisory Committee on
the Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiations in 1972, after
thorough review of all of the scientific data available.

We

shall refer to this Committee as the “BEIR Committee" and its
report as the “BEIR Report.®

-

Select target paragraph3