ame a a nae — _ et = te ee aaae eenel ee — ee lt tadtiStaa et 64 for the '"“Cs levels found. Summary Medical surveys were carried out on the exposed people of Rongelap Island in March 1965 and March 1966. In 1965 the comparison population wasalso examined, and in 1966 the exposed population of Utirik Island was examined. INTERVAL MEDICAL HISTORY During the past 2 years the Rongelap people have been generally in good health with satisfactory nutritional status. No unusual epidemicsof disease occurred. Over the 2-year period 2 deaths had occurred in the Ailingnae group (originally exposed to 69 rads). No autopsy was obtained, but the deaths occurredin older people with no obvious connection with radiation exposure. One death occurred in an older woman of the comparison population. The death rate has been higherin the exposed population than in the unexposed population, which mayin part be related to the larger percentageof older people originally in the exposed group. Birth rate has been about equal in k 2 = 4 bCHEMICAL “SEPARATION AND © G- COUNT loz ~A 4 4 * Tose b ‘ . COCONUT CRAB (BIRGUS LATRO) KABELLE ISLET RONGELAP ATOLL 1 ! 1954 1955 1956 1957 8Ccg IN MUSCL E CORRECTED 7O MARCH.1954 . zg J "J Atk 4 roarrery - 10 : ! i ‘ _ 1 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 [963 1964 COLLECTION DATE trends toward growth retardation in the exposed children, previously noted, have continued. No leukemia or cancer (except one thyroid cancer) was detected. THYROID FINDINGS The dosimetric calculation for radiation dose to the thyroid from internal absorption of radioactive iodinesfrom thefallout was reviewed. Early thyroid studies including protein-boundiodine determina- tions, 1odoproteinlevels, dietary iodine and urinary excretion of iodine, thyroid uptake of radioiodine, and serum cholesterol levels were reviewed. Thyroid abnormalities during the past 3 vears have increased to 18 cases, 16 with nodules and ? with hypothyroidism. It is noteworthythat in the higher exposure group thyroid abnormalities occurred in 79% of the children exposed at <10 years of age, as compared with no cases in the children of the Ailingnae, Utirik, or unexposed groups. Only one adult in the Ailingnae group developed a thyroid nodule. Several nodules were noted in the thyroid glands of older Utirik and unexposed adults of Rongelap. Surgery wasper- formed in 11 cases: 9 children and | adult were found to have adenomatous goiters, and 1 adult a mixed papillaryand follicular carcinoma of the thyroid gland with localized metastasis. The gross and microscopic appearanceof these lesions was described and depicted. Correlation of growth retardation in exposed children with thyroid pathology was indicated bythe recent finding of definite ae Figure 71. Analyses for *’Sr, '*'Cs, and *°Co in coconut crabs of northern Rongelap Atoll since 1954. (Courtesy of E. Held, University of Washington.) As noted in previous surveys, the variety and distribution of physical abnormalities (with the exception of thyroid pathology) did not appear to be significantly different in the exposed people as compared with the unexposed population. The 5008348 es 3 995; IN SKELETON CORRECTED TO * DATE OF COLLECTION t 3 SPECIMENS POOLED \ oT pci/g DRY 107 | | | the exposed and unexposed groups. No miscarriages or stillbirths were noted in the exposed PHYSICAL FINDINGS EUS pO be avoided. Other foods, however, are responsible women duringthe past 2 years, but 5 miscarriages occurred in unexposed women, No abnormal babies were born in the exposed group, but two (hydrocephalic and mongoloid) were born to two unexposed women. The people of Utirik Island appeared. to have been in good health and reported fewserious medical happenings over the past 3 years. The birth and deathrates in this group appearedto be similar to those in the Rongelap group. ee use of crab meat as a food item should continue to