2
rary village was constructed for the Rongelap
people (including the 18 from Ailingnae) on
Majuro Atollseveral hundred miles to the south,
wherethey lived for the following 34% years and
were examined at yearly intervals by a special
medical team. In July 1957, after careful evaluation of radioactive contamination, Rongelap
Island was consideredsafe for habitation. A new
village was constructed, and the Rongelap people
were moved there by Navy ship. The annual medical surveys have since been carried out on Rongelap Island.
A group of more than 100 Rongelap people,
whowererelatives of the exposed people but had
been awayfrom theisland at the time ofthe accident, moved back with the Rongelap people to
their home island and have served as an ideal
comparison population for the studies. The number has since increased to >200. Following the
initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwajalein in
1954, repeat surveys have been carried owt on
these people about every 3 years, including the 12year survey. In addition, during the past survey,as
in the previous surveys, a visit was made to Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls for examination of a number of Rongelap people now residing at these
atolls, and also groups of children who represent
parts of the control group used for the growth and
developmentstudies of the exposed children.
The accumulation of data from these surveysis
becoming increasingly voluminous. Since conditions have not been favorable for performance of
extensive statistical analyses or use of electronic
computing procedures to store and manipulate the
others may have an opportunity to make further
calculations if desired.
Table | lists exposure data on the various populations involved in the fallout. In the following
summary, except where data are broken down into
more detail, the exposed group includes the people
exposed on Rongelap and on Ailingnae (subject
Nos. 1 to 86).
Summaryof Past Findings
Reports have been published on the medical
findings of surveys made at the foliowing times
after exposure: initial examination,’ 6 months,’
1 year,’ 2 years,’ 3 years, 4 years,® 5 and 6 years,’
7 years," 8 years,® and 9 and 10 years.'° Appendix
1 gives a more completelist of reports, including
outside publications, on the results of medical sur-
veys of the Marshallese exposed to fallout and in-
cludes a section on the radiation ecological studies
of these Islands published largely by the Univer-
sity of Washington group. Thefollowingis a brief
summary of the medical findings previously
reported.
Duringthefirst 24 to 48 hr after exposure, about
*4 of the people exposed on Rongelap Island experienced anorexia and nausea. A few vomited
and had diarrhea, manyalso experienced itching
and burningofthe skin, and a few complained of
lacrimation and burningof the eyes. None ofthese
symptomswas notedin the Utirik people (14-rad
group). Following this, the people remained
asymptomatic until about 2 weeks after the acci-
data, the annual surveyreports published bythis
Laboratory are made as complete as possible. This
dent, when cutaneous lesions and loss of hair de-
of raw data, much ofit in appendices, so that
amined, a few days after exposure, that the lym-
report, therefore, includes a considerable amount
veloped, due largely to beta irradiation of the skin.
It was apparent when the people were first ex-
Table |
Summary of Fallout Effects
Group*
Composition
Fallout observed
Estimated gamma
dose (rads)
Extentof skin lesions
Rongelap
Ailingnae
Rongerik
Ctirik
64 Marshallese
18 Marshallese
28 Americans
157 Marshallese
Heavy (snowlike)
Moderate (mistlike)
Moderate (mistlike)
None
175
69
78
14
Extensive
Less extensive
Slight
No skin lesions or epilation
*Also exposed were 23 Japanese fishermen whoreceived a sublethal dose.