CHEMICAL COMPOSLTLON OF THE RONGELAPESE DIET -4-lr rations of the Rongelapese appear to be generally below the level recommended for protein, Since fat allowances are fused Were dee TU dts tam an phy sioluvieal requirements, no definite conclusion can be drawn about the apparent lowfat content of these Gets. Phe Oahitar of tive Reneslipe se day to keep an adult male in manganese balance. Onthis basis, rhe Rongelapese food appears to he low ft ivanginess, Vlee iy ers age adult diet of good quality supplies 0.0030.008 mg of cobalt daily (Harp and Scoular, 1952); in comparison the Rongelarese food eobears te Se fabrhy Gogh om edit eile * ped does net demand a figh-energy dict, which vias partially justify the lower fat intake. The calcium content of the 24-br ration seems to be much lower than the suygested NOM eet erect ¢ Nueriqonal Lata. Tomsett’s (1934) balance experiments with adult humans indicate a minimum copper requirement as low as 0.6 mg daily. The estimate of Chou and Adolph (1935) is 1-2 sary to maintain a proper calcitm-phos- tional Research Council. Eggleton (1939) has given normal daily food intake of zinc as 12 mg. The Rongelapese food appears to 1938), On the same basis, the magnesium levels seem to be adequate but the phosphorus levels are far below what is neces- phorus balance ma good diet. The sodium levely appear to be slightly below the normal suggested intake levels, although no information is available as to the minimum daily requirement of sodium. The potassium level is lower than the sodium content, which is generally the case in most diets. Kent and MeCance (1941) have suggested that an ordinary adult diet will supply 0.3Q.3 mg of nickel daily, On the basis of these values, the Lickel content ur the 24-hr Run- gelapese rations appears to be higher than usual in some cases. Nickel salts frequently gain access to food from corrosion of nickel vessels, and small quantities of nickel may also be foundin various manufactured foods. It also may be that some of the native food components are high in nickel content. Basu and Malakar (1940) have suggested that +.6 ing of manganese are required per mg daily. The Rongelapose diet ts desinitely above the experimental minunum require- ments given. The iron in the diet appears to compare favorably with the minimum daily requirement as suggested by the Na- have large variation in zinc content, and on the average is less than 8 mg daily. The higher levels of cobalt-60 and zinc-45 are associated with each other and with rations containing local fish. This is to be expected since these isotopes are foundpri- marily 195873. in marine organisms (Dunning, The higher levels of strontinm-90 and cesium-137 are found where local fruit was consumed. [n general, higher levels of strontium-90 are coincident with higher levels of cesium-137. Coconut contributes little strontium-90, and pandanus the most. The average value for the daily intake of strontium-90 is 83 pyc. and for calcium 0.28 g. The average daily intake in terms of “strontium units” (pac Sr’? g¢ Ca) is then nearly 300. This value is about three Table 3. Radiotsotopes in 24-hr cations from Rongelap T-lanu.' uae J+ hr sample no. Co Zn* j 2 3 4 5 6 7 59 + 20° 42 + 20 67 + 49 33 39 200 79 & 19 + 20 +8 #20 x 240 + 30 9 39+ 19 C387 “See 370 + 63 120 + 50 10000 + 100+ B30 + 2600 + 330 + 3300 = 2800 + 100 40 34 35 26 63 F4 200 = 82 590 + 34 310+ 25 142 +118 120 +4127 9 + 98 62 + 87 192+ 82 4 13.1 122 +114 43.6 - 29 v8t 95 “Calculated from Table 4, wet-to-dry ratio, and weight of total sample. °0.95 counting error. ral auc Sr”/g Ca 497 + 1239 + 613 % 339+ 248 + 140 300+ 41.4 121.6 122.5 47.3 106.5 127 27.9 149+ 36.1 33L + 828