UNCLASS
Measurements made by various investigators during the period
between March 20-26 are in agreement. It is curious that the Beta-

Gamma ratio is about 1.

This would indicate that the bulk of the ash

had by this time penetrated to the porous wood structure of the deck,
thus absorbing the Betas. The Gamma radiation over most of the ship was

approximately 40 mer. per hour when the ship arrived in port. If we extrapolate this back to H # 3 hours, the time the ash began to fall, the intograted Gamma dose is about 100 R. Of course, the ash was falling from H

plus 3 hours to about H plus 9 hours.

If we take the mid-point of this

period as the start of exposure we find the expogure is about 70 R.

This,

however, estimates the whole body Gamma radiation from residual debris

still on the ship when the first measurements were made.Theactual”dose

could have been 2, 10, or even 100 times higher depending on how much ash
was washed off the ship end at what time.

We have made a number of discreet inquiries in the hopes that
photographic film might have been aveilable aboard the ship and might possibly be used as a dosimeter. All efforts to date have been negative.
Deposition of Internal Emitters
There was an urgent requirement to evaluate the extent to which

sae

fission products had been absorbed into the tissues of the fishermen,
As mentioned earlier, Dr. Nakaidzumi had concluded from his mouse experiment that the prognosis for the fishermen was adversely affected by the
probability of excessive deposition of long-lived bone-seeking isotopes.

The Japanese scientists were desperately looking for an agent to mobilize

these isotopes and Dr. Lewis believes that they had administered EDTS/ to
the patients, despite the fact that urine analysis was beyond their
capability and they were therefore unable to determine either the need for
EDTL or the effect produced by it. /part from the fact thet they were
unable to undertake urine analysis at that time, it is also evident that
they did not understand the dynamics of fission product metabolism and were
not used to thinking in terms of urinary excretion levels as en index
of absorption and deposition.
:
They were anxious to provide me with samples of urine for State-side
analysis. Two samples were delivered on Merch 26 and five more on Merch

30.

As yet we have not received samples from the remaining 16 paticnts.

The samples received were properly forwarded to the Health and Safety

Laboratory and I have had the results of gross analysis of the first two
samples. I communicated these results to.Dr. Kobayashi in the attached
letter which is self~exp:“natory.

seconcnuaentangoe

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