g of 6 _. DOB ARCHIVES ” . oS ee tae : x0 ‘the An unexpected wind shift during the 1954 test carried fallout from Bikini at the western end of the Marshall Islands over several islands located east of Bikini. Nearest and most heavily exposed were 64 Marshallese at Rongelap. There were also 18 Marshallese at Ailingnae and 157 at Utirik receiving a much lesser exposure. These peonle are examined on a regular schedule. To provide a comparison with the exposed populace, a control groun of about 200 unexposed Marshallese is also examined, but 6n a less frequent schedule. There were 19 children in the Rongelap vopulation under the age of 10 at the time of exnoosure. The estimated dose to their thyroids was from 500 to 1400 rads. Seventeen of these children have developed thyroid abnormalities and some show growth retardation. Fifteen of tne children have been operated on for thyroid nodules, including the case found to be Malignant this month. This is the first time a malignant thyroid condition has develoved in the Rongelap group who were exposed as children. According to Dr. Conard, the children show a higher incidence of thyroid abnormalities because their thyroid glands were smaller and probably received a larger comparative radiation dose. There were six children under 10 years on Ailingnae. They received from 275-600 rads. The 40 children on Utirik in the same age group received thyroid doses from 55 to 125 rads. There has been no development of abnormalities in either group. The selection of age 10 as a grovo designation did not occur until a few years ago and was done primarily as a result of statistical observations. The Rongelap inhabitants who were over 10 years at the time of exposure received a thyroid dose estimated at 355 rads. Eight per cent developed thyroid abnormalities. The exposed adult populations on Utirik and Ailingnae, like the unexposed control population, has had a low incidence of thyroid abnormalities, probably normal, statistically, for the size of their populations. In total, four malignant thyroid conditions have been found, three of them from the Rongelap population. Of those, two were adults and one was a child at the time of exposure. The fourth case, the adult patient from Utirik treated this. year, is not believed to be related to radiation exvosure. The term rad means radiation absorbed dose. (more)