TABLE 5
RANK ORDER SELECTED CAUSES OF DEATH (0-4) years) 1974-1976
Prematurity
23 or 22.3%
Congenital defect & birth related injuries
20 or 19.4%
Gastroenteritis & amebiasis
18 or 17.5%
Pneumonia
9or
8.7%
Malnutrition
5 or
4.8%
TOTAL
75 or 72.8%
(Source: TTPI Five Year Comprehensive Health Plan, April 1, 1980)
B.
Radiation
Having
reviewed
the
20-year
report
on
the
exposed
Marshallese
published by Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1975 and the published and
unpublished data acquired since 1975 (soon to be published as a 26-year
report), the following conclusions are summarized:
l.
The people of Enewetak (measured in the spring of 1980) have received
less
radiation
exposure
than
that
according to the standard published
allowed
for
large
populations
in International Commission on
Radiation Protection, 77 publication 26.
The people of Bikini who returned to their home island
(1969-78)
received an annual mean radiation dose equivalent of less than 500
millirems per year (the maximum permissible exposure allowed for non-
occupational persons).
The people of Rongelap and Utirik have significantly increased thyroid
pathology,
undoubtedly
hypothyroidism and
radiation
related,
and
manifested
by
an increase in both benign and malignant thyroid
tumors.
There is the possibility of other radiation related diseases in the
Rongelap population (e.g. leukemia).
Although significant acute skin pathology occurred on the islands of
Rongelap and Utirik, no serious delayed skin pathology has been noted
to date.
There are increased eye problems and diabetes which do not appear to be
radiation related.
VW