Io
wn
ee
Table 33
Urinary Sr Levels. in uuC/1, of Marshallese, 1959
Males
Age 1-15
*
Rongelap exposed
Rongefap unexposed
Aulingnae
Utirik
Ebeye
2.4
Females
Age > 15
(2)*
7.12=2.0 (3)
Age 1-15
7.3 5.1
3.9 (2)
3.3
15 +09
0.56 0.37 (4)
3.9 (1)
-
5.6 =2.3
-
~
Age >15
5.4 £2.2 (9)
4.2 42.3 (6)
3.0
(1)
2.5
(2)
0.700.70 (3)
*The numbers in parentheses are the numbers of people in the groups.
Table 34
Cs'*" Body Burdens, in muC/kg, of Marshallese as Measured by Whole-Body Gamma Spectroscopy, 1959
14.2+5.1 (10)
14.0%4.7 (37)
11.536 (4)
4.51.6 (15)
11.32.7 (12)
9.92.1 (15)
10.043.1 (4)
4.51.9 (14)
11.0%3.4 (16)
9.82.8 £33)
li.44%45 (5)
3.61.3 £15)
*Toc :umbers in parentheses are the numbers ofpeople in the groups.
on an average 24-hr urine output of 1660 ml (see
Table 33). No significant difference was found
between the Rongelap exposed and unexposed
groups, although the exposed adult group hada
slightly higher mean value than the unexposed
group. Females tended to have a lower mean Sr®®
value than males, but the difference was notsta-
ment with the value of 140 days obtained by An-
derson,°*? but a biological half-time of 51 to 59
days was obtained in clinical study made over a
4-month period following injection of Cs**’Cl,
into two patients.**
The estimates of body burden of Cs!” in 1958,
tistically significant. Relatively few children <15
derived indirectly from urinalysis, are presented in
Table 32.
it was not possible to compare their levels statis-
1957 indicates that the Rongelap people were ex-
years of age weretested for urinary Sr®°; therefore,
The urinary excretion of Cs'*’ of 34 wuC/] in
tically with those of the adults. The mean Sr**
urinary value for an adult inhabitant of Utirik was
1.8 puC/1, which is about 35% that of the Ronge-
posed to a continuing low level of Cs'*? from
stratospheric fallout during 1956 while residing on
Majuro. By contrast, the mean body burden of
contaminated) had stil] lower values, 0.62 puC/t.
exposed and unexposed groups on Rongelap seems,
turned to their atoll in 1954) was 334 muC, considerably higher than that of the Rongelap people
who were residing on Majuro at that time.*° This
the initial exposure is detectable in the exposeda
can be attributed to the higherlevel of Cs**" con-
lap group. The control group on EbeyeIsland (not
The lack of significant difference between the
to indicate that essentially no residual Sr®° from
group,
Cesium-137. The Cs'** urinary excretion levels
_ of the Marshallese people for the period from 50
to 180 days following exposure can be expressed
as a single exponential function with a half-life of
70 days (see Figure 56). This figure is not in agree-
Cs'*? in 1957 of the Utirik people (who werere-
higher burden among the Utirik people in 1957
tamination on Utirik than on Majuroat that time.
Zinc-65. Zn* urinary levels were not measured
before 1958. With the assumptionsthat excretion
of Zn** is exponential and urinary excretion is
10% of total excretion (urinary/fecal ratio=),
the March 19538 urinary excretion level of 175
a
Age >15_
ee
12.4+6.2 (9)*
11.8+4.8 (20)
8.9
(2)
4.61.2 (14)
Age 1-15
Me
Rongelap exposed
Rongelap unexposed
Ailingnae
Utiri:
Age >15
4
Age 1-15
ty ind a,
Males