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unpublished data acquired since 1975 (soon to be published as a 26-year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

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