MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE PEOPLE OF RONGELAP™“ANDAAR ISLANDS ELEVEN AND TWELVE YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT,MOATON (MARCH 1965 AND MARCH 1966),- _ Introduction ceived only an externa! gammadose of about 69 rads. There were 28 American servicemen on the island of Rongerik furtherto the eastwho received about the same amount of radiation as did the Rongelap people on Ailingnae. Lastly, 157 Mar- The results of a medical survey of the people of Rongelapin the Marshall Islands, carried out in March 1965 and March 1966, 11 and 12 years os after the accident, are presented in this report. 4 - shallese on Utirik Island, about200-miles further east, received an estimated 14 rags of whole-body radiation. Thefallout was notvisible on this island These people had been accidently exposedto fallout radiation following a detonation of a high vield thermonuclear device during experiments at Bikini in the Pacific Proving Grounds in March 1954. An unpredicted shift in winds caused a deposition of significant amounts offallout on four inhabited Marshall Islands to the east of Bikini (see Figure 1) and also on 23 Japanese fishermen aboard their fishing vessel, the Lucky Dragon. Of and noskin effects developed. , The exposed people wefe acwated from these islands by plage and ship about2 daysafter the accident and takém to Kwajalein Naval Base about 150. miles.jg the south, where they re- ceived extensive éymminationsfor.the following 3 months. During {His.periodvigorous efforts were necessary to decont@miaate-theskin completely the inhabitants of the island of Rongelap, 105 (see Figure 2). In view of the generally negative findings on the Americanservicemen, they were Jaggmreturned to their dutystations. The Utirik peopléwerealso allowed to return to their homeisland, where radio- nautical miles away from the detonation, 64 re- ceived the largest fallout exposure: an estimated dose of 175 rads of whole-body gammaradiation, contamination of the skin sufficient to result in beta burns, andslight internal absorption of radio- active materials through inhalation and ingestion. Another 18 Rongelap people away on a nearby island (Ailingnae), whereless fallout occurred, re- active contamination wasslight enoughto allow safe habitation. Because Rongelap Atoll was considered to be too highly contaminated, a tempo- “ _ f&S UTIRIK Figure 1. Mapoffallout area, Marshall Islands, March 1, 1954. MAJURO s y Figure 2. Marshallese bathing in lagoon at Kwajalein in March 1954 to decontaminate skin and hairafterfallout contamination. PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED