The next few slides show the village of Rongelap at that time
and some of the people.
All of these island groups were evacuated about
two days after the accident and taken-to a Naval base to the south where
extensive medical examninations and personnel decontamination were carried
out over a three month period.
The next slide shows a group of Marshallese
bathing in the lagoon to remove radicactive contamination from their bodies.
Examinations showed fewer radiation effects in the American
servicemen and the Utirik people, and the former were returned to their
duty station and the latter to their home island.
However, Rongelap
island was too contaminated and the people lived in a temporary village
in a southern atoll of the Marshalls for three years.
In 1957 a fine
new village was built at Rongelap by the Atomic Energy Commission.
The
radiation levels on the island at this time were considered acceptable
and the people were returned.
The next several slides show pictures of
the new village.
Annual examinations by medical specialists from the United States
and medical personnel from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands have
been conducted under the auspices of the Atomic Energy Commission and
Brookhaven National Laboratory with the accumulation and publication of
mucr vaiuable data.
Some 200 unexposed Rongelap people, away from the
island at the time of the accident, have since moved back with the exposed
people and afford a most satisfactory comparison population.
The early or acute effects of the exposure of the Rongelap pecsle
will now be briefly reviewed.
The penetrating gemma radiation dose of 175
rads resulted in temporary anorexia and nausea in the majority of people
with vomiting and diarrhea in e few, during the first two days after exposure.