79
INTERNAL DEPOSITION OF RADIONUCLIDES
detonation was about 4 uc. The distribution
of activity in the individual tissues is shown in
Table 5.8. Over 90 percent of the beta activity
was localized in the skeleton. The highest activity in a soft tissue was found inthe liver,
which had, however, less than 0.5 percent of the
total body burden. The colon contents hadthe
riod. Radioanalysis of the excreta was performed in the same manneras that of the tissue
samples, described above.
5.42
Findings and Interpretation
Gross Observations, The animals had been
free on the islands. Although malnourished,
they showed no other evidence of disease.
Autopsy of two chickens which died during
shipment revealed no pathological findings that
could be associated with radiation.
On the basis of an assumed 12-houreffective
fallout time, the animals from Rongelap received an integrated external dose of 280 to
360 r, depending onthedate of their collection
(see Table 5.7). The pigs from Utink received
a calculated dose of 32 r at the time of their
evacuation. The animals all showed extensive
external contamination, ranging from 0.5 to
5 mr per hourat 30 days post detonation. This
activity was reduced about 75 percent by a
washing with water alone.
Radioactivity of Tissues and E'xcreta. The
gross beta activity of the pigs at 82 days post
second highest activity for the soft tissues, about
0.24 percent of the total. The alveolar tissue
of the lung had an activity less than 0.02 percent of the total activity in the body.
Gross beta and gammaactivity of the chickens at 74 days post detonation was approximately 0.2 pe. The gross activity per body
weight of the chicken is approximately the same
as that of the pig. The distribution of activity
in the tissues of the chicken (Table 5.9) was
verysimilarto that in the pig. Most respiratory
‘adio activity was localized in the turbinates,
asa result of entrapment of the large particles,
which could not penetrate to the alveolartissue.
The beta activity in the skeleton of chickens
at 160 days dropped to + percentof the value at
24 days post detonation, while in the same period the gammaactivity dropped to 0.2 percent
Table 5.9.—Beta and GammaActivity of Chickens From Rongelap (uc x 10°)
DAY oF DEaTH**__.
DAY ANALYZED**__..
TISSVE
HEN #t
HEN #2
HEN #39
HEN #6
HEN #35
HEN #7
HEN #24
DayY 23
Day 23
Day 74
Day 97
Day 121
Day 138
Day 189
Day 24
Day 24
BETA GAMMA|
BetA GamMa!
Day 79
Beta
Day 107
GAMMA
Tibia... 222222222 eee
7600
3850
8180
4610
133
695
Skeleton .......2-22--
T1030
55800
11900
66900
1930
8600
119
21
352
271
12
72
Liver... 2.222 2.22_ e
BETA GAMMA!
253
3670°
a4
140—
79
—
7.5
12.2
1.2
9.3
0
4.5
0.3
0
3.0
63
—
140
10.7
3.9
0, 29
_
9.0
3.0
—_
1.4
9.0
—
_
14.2
_
—
_
10.0
8.4
_
_
14.9
a
_
0, 75
0
_
0, 26
—
12.4
0.78
0.23
0. 57
4.0
2,0
1.4
4.5
5.6
4.3
0. 24
3. 87
2.0
19
1.0
22
1.7
15,3
«3.7
7.6
09
_
0.2
_
Gizzard (content)....;
Crop_......---2--------|
Intestine (L) and
contents......-2---.]
Intestine (S) and
contents.__..--.---_|
Pancreas..-.---------}
Spleen..._.-- 22-2 ee}
Kidney.__.-__.-__.--
.22----2---2
weeeeeeeeeee
Leelee eee
[eee ee eee eee
0. 93
0. 43
—
5.0
_
2.0
2-2 -.- 2 eee
Leelee _—
0. 63
10.0
----------------------eee eee
198
46
Leto eee ee
---------Lee eee
12 ene Le
1.6
0.16
_1.17
4.0
26
eeeceeeeeeee
Ulett
17
28
-.---------- Lo
---22--e-ee.
0
*Calculated using ratio of gamma activity skeleton/tibia.
**Day post detonation.
8.1
117, 5*
18
7.9
8.5
7.6
W7700«13.5
33. 2
437
0.6
VW
(Alveoli)___.
31.3
454*
GamMMa
3.6
4.1
33
41.3
- 00
Day 159
Beta
10.7
eeee eee eee
32
50
850*
Day 146
BETA GamMa!
7.9
----2-------
Lungs
215.5
3120
GAMMA]
10. 3
Gizzard..___..--.--.-|
Trachea...-..---.----|
Turbinates...-..-..--[
Day 122
BETA
16.8
—_
_—
0. 83
—_
_