270
R. A. Conard
absorption of radioactive fission products. Eighteen Rongelap people away
on a nearby island (Alinginae), where less fall-out occurred, received about
69 r with proportionately less contamination of the skin and internal absorption
of radionuclides. Discussed in earlier reports (Cronkite, Bond and Dunham
1956, Conard, Meyer, Rall, Lowrey, Bach, Cannon, Carter, Eicher and Hechter
1958) were 28 American Servicemen on Rongerik Atoll who received about 70 r
and 157 Marshallese on Utirik Atoll who received about 14r. The exposed
people were evacuated to Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands by air and sea
about two days after the accident. Extensive examinations were carried out
during the first three months after exposure, and these findings have been
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9
MARSHALL {ISLANDS
Figure 1.
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o
MAJURO S
Map offall-out area, Marshall Islands, March 1954,
)
reported in detail (Cronkiteet a/. 1956). In viewof the radioactive contamination
of their homeisland of Rongelap, the people were subsequently moved to a
village provided for them at Majuro Atoll, where follow-up medical surveys
were carried out and reported on at six months (Bond, Conard, Robertson and
Weden 1955), one year (Cronkite, Dunham, Griffin, McPherson and Woodward
1955), two years (Conard, Huggins, Cannon, Lowrey and Richards 1957) and
at three years (Conard et a/. 1958). By June 1957 radioactivity levels on Rongelap
were considered safe for habitation, and the people were returned to their
home island. The four-year post-exposure survey (Conard, Robertson, Mever,
Sutow, Wolins, Lowrey, Urschel, Barton, Goldman, Hechter, Eicher, Carver
and Potter 1959) was carried out at Rongelap Atoll. By 1956 a large group of
unexposed Rongelap people (relatives) had joined the exposed Rongelap people
and returned to Rongelap Island with them. This unexposed group has increased
in size to 200 people and served as a much better comparison population group