Nn . Tabie 22 Mean RBC, Hemoglobin. MCH, and Reticulocvte Levels bv Age and Sex, 1959 Rongelap exposed RBC (x10 "), * Hgb., ga MICH, ue, Rongelap control +.46 m2) 3.15 (4) +.31220.36 (9) 4.6 0.3 (22) 4.8 £0.53 (44) 4.4 0.4 (53) Males age 3-15 4.45200.3*" . 10) ** Females $21204 (313 Males age 5-15 12.3 40.3 (10) Females 12.5 +£0.99 (31) 13.2 20.87 (9) 28.0 23.3 (10) 30.8 #25 (19 27.7 12} 30.0 (4) 30.5 41.9 .9) “15 >5 >15 ™>3 Males age 5-15 > 13 Females Retic., %, Ailingnae exposed “>5 Males age 5-15 Females S15 >5 471=04 49) 12.2 i44 =13 19) 29.3 23.3 0.13 0.31 0.21 (2) 13.4 (31) 0.05 0.3 O17 (9) (13) £23) (4) 7 (2) (4) (7) 13.1 1.1 (22) 14.8 1.8 (44) 12.9 2.1 (52) 28.5 41.9 (22) 30.7 3.4 (44) 29.4 22.7 (52) 0.29 0.43 0.41 (17) (42) (48) *Standard deviation. **The numbers in parenthese are the numbers of people in the groups. The explanation is not clear. However,it was felt the left, which indicates a slight tendency towardmuicrocytosis. that the erythrocyte counts done on the Coulter Serum Iron. electronic counter, and the hemoglobin andretic- were again higher than normal in many Cases. The range in the exposed group was 6.6 to 8.4¢ with a mean of 7.45, and in the unexposed group were generally somewhat below those accepted as from 6.6 to 9.0 g with a mean of7.55. Comments. The peripheral levels of blood elements have shown considerable fluctuation from year to year. The explanation is not known. One might speculate that, since upper respiratory and average for Americans and were only slightly lower in the exposed Rongelap population than in the unexposed group. Scattergrams(Figures +2 and 43) of the individual red cell counts plotted by age for exposed people of both sexes show more of the counts below the average level of the unexposed group than aboveit, and a plot of percentage Cumulative distribution of counts (Figure 44) shows the curve for the exposed group distinctly displaced to theleft. ° Ailingnae Blood Counts. Counts in the Ailing- gastrointestinal infections are common, the temporal relationship of the hematological examinations to periods of bacterial infection might strongly influence the general level of certain elements, particularly the leukocytes. It is not known whether the drop in 1960 leukocyte levels was so influ- enced. As pointed out, the influenza epidemic in nae people (a group of 15 who had received an estimated 69 r from fallout) are summarized in Tables 21 and 22 and in Appendix 2, and theindividual counts are shown in Appendices 3 and 4. These counts generally averaged slightly higher than in the exposed Rongelap people but lower than in the unexposed people. Price-Jones Curves. Price-Jones curvesfor determination of red cell size distribution on 17 -Rongelap people (exposed and unexposed) were averaged and compared with an averaged curve for 53 Americans of the same age group (Figure 45). The Marshallese curve is displaced slightly to Serum iron levels were < 100 pg/ 100 mi serum in only 5 persons, all unexposed. , Serum Protein. Serum protein levels in 1959 ulocyte counts, were sufficient indices for evaluation of ervthropoetic function. Erythrocytes and Hemoglobins. The mean levels of erythrocytes and hemoglobins (Table 22) ne 4 early 1960 apparently spared Rongelap Atoll. Since hematological examinations were not done on the unexposed group in 1960, it was not possible to evaluate exposed levels with relation to radiation effects. The only blood elements at 5 years post exposure that showed slightly lower levels in the ex- posed group werethe platelets and erythrocytes. Erythrocyte counts had not been done before 1959. Re-examination of earlier hematocrit levels by construction of scattergrams and cumulative distribution curves showed slight tendencyfor