"MEDICAL SURVEY OF RONGELAP PEOPLE FIVE AND SIX YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT (see Figure 1) and also on23, Japanese hshermen abe their fishing vessel, the Lucky Dragon. Of the .abitants of the island of Rongelap, 105 nautical miles away from the detonation, 6+ received the largest Fallout exposure: an estimated dose of 175 r of whole-body gamma radiation, contamination of the skin sufficient to result in ical surveys have since been carried out on Ronge- lap Island. A group of more than 100 Rongelap people, who were relatives of the exposed people but hac been awayfrom the island at the time of the acciy dent, moved back with the Rongelap people to their hume island and have served as an ideal comparison population for the studies. Following the initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwa- beta burns, and slight internal absorption of radio- jalein in 1954, a repeat survey was carried out in of Rongerik further to the east who received about as in the previous surveys, a visit was made to Mayjuro Atoll to examine a group of children who represent part of the controi group used for the growth and development studies of the exposed children. active materials through inhalation and ingestion. Another 18 Rongelap people away on a nearby island (Ailingnae), where less fallout occurred, received only an external gamma dose of about 69 r. ‘There were 28 American servicemen on the island the same amount of radiation as did the Rongelap people on Ailingnae. Lastly, 157 Marshallese on Uurik Island, about 200 miles further east, received about an estimated 14 r of whole-body radiation, The fallout was not visible on this island and no skin effects developed. The exposed people were evacuated from these islands by plane and ship about two daysafter the accident and taken to Kwajalein Naval Base March 1937. In addition, during the past survey, 300 6 : 200 6. s.r <\ewnacey v7 ~ Q about 150 miles to the south, where theyreceived | extensive examinations for the following three months. In view of the generally negative findings on the American servicemen, they were later returned to their duty stations. The Utirik people were also allowed to return to their home island, where radioactive contamination was considered ta be of a shght enough extent to allowsate habita- 9 LD Q ° MAIURONS Figure 1. Map of fallout area (March 1, 1954}, Marshall Islands. 3,4 an i954. An unpredicted shift in winds caused a deposition ofsignificant amounts of fallout on four inhabited Marshall Islands to the east of Bikini Isitand was considered safe for habitation. A new village was constructed, and the Rongelap people were moved there by Navy ship. The annual med- ad Te Bikintin the Pacific Proving Grounds in March radioactive contamination situation, Rongelap mee fallout radiation following a detonation of a high vield thermonuclear device during experiments at say The results of medical surveys of the people of Rongelap in the Marshall [slands, carried out in March 1959 and in March 196U at 5 and 6 vears after the accident, are presented in this report. These people had been accidentally exposed to tion. Because Rongelap Atoll was considered to be too highly contaminated, a temporaryvillage was constructed for the Rongelap people on Majuro Atoll several hundred miles to the south, where theylived tor the following 3! vears and were examined at vearly intervals by a special medical team. In July 1957. after careful evaluation of the . Introduction