#
s important to recognise that rediation itself "53
meus since we receive an exposurg or dose from
Se@eeurring sources at a rate of 1/10
roentgens per year.
(or a little
Also, the major fgetor in evalu-
ating radiation exposure is the total amount, received.
There may be temporary vises in radiation levels without
being of significance in terms of health.
For example,
x
if fallout were to raise the back-
ound radiation tevel by 100 times and this. were to persist
or a week, the total exposure would be ebeut equivalent
a
to the maximum permitted atomic energy workers
week.
rgb es
In reality, the radiation levels from fallowt dedrease
rather rapidly according to known physical principals
described before, but again it is the total ameust received
that is the determining factor.
The 1/10 reentgen ex-
~
posure, given above, from all tests te date jg the total
emount.
-
eS
yb
As you know, there was an unexpected shift in
the winds on
March 1, 195% so that significant ameusts of
|
8S soon ag thie we 8 (|*
fallout occurred on Rongelap Atoll.
ascertained air and aurface craft were immediately dis-
patched to evacuate the inhabitamts of Rongelap (82 people)
to Kwajalein where they were given the beat posatbie redical
eare.
A team of specialists in radiation medicine were
flown from the United States to Kwajalein and remained
with them for several weeks until they wers all well on the
road to recovery. The Ha-.na''ese were later roved to the
island of Ejit where they have Deen i.c.s) id and cared for
at the expense of the Unite: States soverment.
havebeen reexamined by m>cdical teams and
mood health. ihere has cecsn wo change ar.
m all newburn Lave been normal.
It is hoped
pie may be returned to Rongelap in the fall
:
���
As a precautionary measure, er. acditional 154
inhabitants were also evacuated from their home island
of Utirik to Kwajalein. These received an estimated whole
body dose of 15 roentgens with no chservable effects
either external or internal. They were returred to Utirik
in June 1954.
(more)
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