LAEA-SM-118/8 327 Figure 1 shows a rough map of the fallout pattern involving these islands. Atl of the island groups were evacuated about 2 days after the accident and taken to a naval base to the south where extensive medical was iple examinations and and personnel decontamination were carried out over 4 J month period. Ac the end of this time che American service men had shown few effects of their exposure to radiation and were returned to their stations. The Utirik people had shown little or no effect of their returned to their island. a l be southern atobl of the Marshalls However, Rongelap for J years, In 1957 a radiation on the the people returned. istand at this in new villape was built ac Rongelap by the U.S. Atomic Enerpy Commission, of isiand tived in a temporary village The levels time were considered acceptable and Annual examinations by medical specialists from the United States and medical personnel from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands | FI have been conducted under the direction of Brookhaven National Laboratory. Some 200 unexposed Rongelap people, away from the island at the time of the accident, have moved back with their exposed relatives and serve as a@ most satisfactory comparlLson population. EARLY FINDINGS The penetrating gamma radiation dose of 175 rads resulted in temporary anorexia and nausea in the majority of the people with vomiting and diarrhea in a few. Within a few days after exposure the lymphocyte counts showed significant depression and soon reached levels that were one-half er below that of the unexposed comparison populations. The neutrophil counts became similarly depressed reaching a minimum at about 6 weeks post exposure. Platelet levels dropped to one-eighth to one-third normal leveis by 30 days. The exposure proved to be sublethal and there were no infections or frank bleeding that could be related directly to observed hematologic changes. No specific therapy was necessary or given for their depression of blood cells. The deposit of fallout material on the exposed skin surfaces of the people resulted in itching and burning sensations during the ee id first 2 days followed by a developmenc of lesions of the skin at about 2 weeks post exposure. These so-called "beta burns" showed a sequence of pigmentation, depigmentation and repigmentation. About 90% of the people had these burns but most of them were superficial in nature and healed rapidiy. About 15% of the people had deeper skin lesions which have left some degree of scarring and pigment aberrations. Temporary spotty epilation of the head was noted in most people. Though a few benign moles have appeared in areas of severe burns, no evidence of any malignant lesions of the skin has been apparent. Internal absorption of radioactive material occurred in the Rongelap people as a result of their living in a contaminated environment for the 2 days before their evacuation. They absorbed fission products in the food and water that they consumed. Radiochemical urine analyses revealed the presence of various radioisotopes, chief of which were strontium and iodine (See Table II). The dose to the thyroid gland from ‘radiofodines is discussed in a later section. Except for the thyroid gland the dose to the bone and other organs appeared to have been minimal with no acute effects noted. By 6 months the urinary excretions indicaced greatly reduced body burdens, When the people were returned to Rongelap te eer exposure and were was too contaminated and the people with 2 ene ee +nee ST ety SYOCS ER PE EENY PORT RE GARRSU eR GO creewmee ane amanemaren Tg ar MIL aah RR ES Gm Sea Fee wine + Ft marae yn ‘hac