~10
@
were contaminated; they inhaled and obviously ingested certain indeterninate amounts
of material,
.
;
The body burdens of isotopes in these individuals was evaluated by radio chemical
analysis of the urine of the exposed people and assisted by studies on swine.
These
swine were removed from the island at a later date.
The urinary and fecal excretion
was studied and ultimately the animals were killed.
Extensive radio chemicals anslysis
By comparison approximations of body burdens of
were made of their entire bodies.
radfonuclides was made,
| Rare and alkaline earths accounted for about 70% of the urine activity.
tiun 89 was about at the maximumpermissable level at one day.
Strom
Iodine 131 and other
meubers of the iodine family which had to be present early, resulted in a dose of
radiation to the thyroid glands, estimated between 100 and 150 rep.
must be added the penetrating external gamma component.
barely detectable in the urine.
To thie of course,
By 6 months radiation was
At 2 years from analysis of pooled urine samples
and individual samples very tiny amounts of Sr90, ca45, Pr. and Cs were present*.
The results of the three year radiochemical analysis of tke urines that were recently
collected are not completed as yet.
It was believed that the body burtens of these
people was very low and probably biologically insignificant.
However it was decided to
bring some of the individuals to the United States for study with the total body gamma
counter at the Argonne Mational Laboratory.
This decision was made not because of
any fear but because the analysis of the urine and the animal analysis was an indir
ect means to obtain probable body burdens.
It was obviously desireable to obtain a
firm direct measurenent of the body burden from the scientific standpoint and to
determine the precise tody burdens.
Four individuals from the Rongelap group, two
from the Utirik group and one control Marshallese (a total of 7) were trought to the
United States and taken to the Argonne Neticonal Laboratory.
There , undier the direction
of Drs. Marinelli, Rose and Miller the totel body gamma activity was measured.
*
The
Studies performed both at U. S, Navel Radiological Defense Laboratory and Walter
Reed Army Medical Center.
“
DOE ARCHIVES
7