COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE TRADITIONAL (1954 ~ 1978) BNL MEDICAL PROGRAM p AND REQUIRED REVISIONS IN LIGHT OF ACTUAL AND PROJECTED EXPANSION TRADITIONAL CHARACTERISTICS 1. Directed toward early detection treat- ment, and prevention of radiation induced Aik 7 $33 EXPANDED CHARACTERISTICS 1. Same disease, 2. Islands involved have included Rongelap, Alinzgnae, Rongerik and Utirik. 2. Recent developments tn 1978 and 1979 have opened the possibility that islands other than tho designated in the traditional study may have received variable amounts of radiation, producing a wide spectrum of long term low level radiation of variable intensity. Recently obtained information from the papers of the USS Renshaw seem to indicate that on March 5-6, 1954 that there was a significant increase in background radiation at least on the island of Likiep (7 300mr/hr measured from the water of the cistern of the Catholic school. 3. Populations under study have included: a. 64 Rongelap - 175 R 4 in utero He states he can remember the Gelber Muller counter clicking rapidly during the counting of the feet of many of the inhabitants being surveyed. During the ensuing 25 years, Mr. deBrum states he has noted a "very high" incidence of thyroid and congenital abnormalities in the people of Likiep. Rongelaa received 175 R of gamma radia- cion; Alingnae received an unknown amount (approx. 69 R). Twenty-eight servicemen received an unknown amount on Rongerik; 158 people on Utirik received 14 R. The Secretary of State of the newly formed Marshall Island government, Mr. Anton deBrum the island underwent personal dosimetry at the time of the visit. b. 18 Alingnae - 69 R ec. 158 Jtirik - 14 R 4. 3. states that as a child on Likiep at the time of the Bravo test on 3/1/54, he noted a particulate type of fallout. He remembers the visit of the Renshaw and states that a number of the people of In addition, all of these islands received an unknown amount of short-lived radio-nuclides - predominantly 4. In 1970, Dr. R. A. Conard (then director of the BNL Marshall Island Study) visited Likiep and attempted to perform a complete survey of the island aimed at detecting the presence of thyroid nodules by palpation cf all available inhabitants. During this survey 135 people were examined and 5 nodules were detected, Of the three major populated islands in the atoll, one was surveyed. In 1977, a similar survey was carried out on Wotje. Two of the four inhabited islands in the atoll were visited. The visits to Likiep and Wotje were designed to determine the presence of palpable thyroid nodules in an “unexposed” population. Current data indicate that this popula- icdine. tion might in fact have had a higher than ambient radiation exposure. 5. The ex. tsed populations were evacuated in a period oi +3-72 hours, to Kwajalein, where they were cared for by a team of radiation specialists from the AEC and other nuclear labs. 5. The inhabitants of all islands other than Rongelap, Utirik, Alingnae and Rongerik have been reassured repeatedly that they have not been exposed to "significant" radiation. Recently, Mr. deBrum designed and circulated a medical questionaire to determine from a number of the people of Likiep and some surrounding atolls the prevalence of “thyroid” and "congenital" abnormalities since evaluation of the exposed population, an agesex matched cohort was established for the revealed an unusually high prevalence of "positive" results. The questionnaires have been completed by individuals and in many cases, by health care personnel. Interpretation of these questionnaires Following an extensive medical and radiologic people of Rongelap. No cohort was established for Utirik. The people of Utirik were returned to their island 3 months post-exposure; the people of Rongelap, 3 years post-éxposure. Follow up 1954. We have no solid information on the size of the population sampled. However, the survey has in their present format is impossible from an epidemiologic standpoint, however the questionnaires do raise the possibility of an unexpected incidence of the aforementioned diseases in Likiep. This information has been presented to US - Department of Interior and US - Department of Energy and assurances have been made to the Marshall Islands gov't. that a careful and scientifically valic