rary village was constructed for the Rongelap
people (including the 18 from Ailingnae) on
Majuro Atoll several hundred miles to the south,
where they lived for the following 3% years and
were examined at yearly intervals by a special
medical team. In July 1957, after careful evaluation of radioactive contamination, Rongelap
Island was considered safe for habitation. A new
village was constructed, and the Rongelap people
were moved there by Navy ship. The annual medical surveys have since been carried out on Rongelap Island.
A group of more than 100 Rongelap people,
who wererelatives of the exposed people but had
been awayfrom theisland at the timeofthe accident, moved back with the Rongelap people to
their home island and have served as an ideal
comparison population for the studies. The number has since increased to > 200. Following the
initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwajalein in
1954, repeat surveys have been carried out on
these people about every 3 years, including the 1 2year survey. In addition, during the past survey, as
in the previous surveys, a visit was made to Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls for examination of a number of Rongelap people now residing at these
atolls, and also groups of children who represent
parts of the control group used for the growth and
developmentstudies of the exposed children.
The accumulation of data from these surveysis
becoming increasingly voluminous. Since conditions have not been favorable for performance of
extensive statistical analyses or use of electronic
computing procedures to store and manipulate the
data, the annual survey reports published bythis
Laboratory are made as complete as possible. This
report, therefore, includes a considerable amount
of raw data, muchof it in appendices, so that
others may have an opportunity to make further
calculationsif desired.
Table 1 lists exposure data on the various popu-
lations involved in the fallout. In the following
summary, except where data are broken downinto
moredetail, the exposed group includes the people
exposed on Rongelap and on Ailingnae (subject
Nos. | to 86).
Summaryof Past Findings
Reports have been published on the medical
findings of surveys made at the following times
after exposure: initial examination,' 6 months,”
1 year,* 2 years,* 3 years,’ 4 years,° 5 and 6 years,’
7 years,“ 8 years,’ and 9 and 10 years.'° Appendix
1 gives a more completelist of reports, including
outside publications, on the results of medical surveys of the Marshallese exposed to fallout and includes a section on the radiation ecological studies
of these Islands published largely by the University of Washington group. Thefollowingis a brief
summary of the medical findings previously
reported.
Duringthefirst 24 to 48 hr after exposure, about
*5 of the people exposed on Rongelap Island experienced anorexia and nausea. A few vomited
and had diarrhea, many also experienced itching
and burning of the skin, and a few complained of
lacrimation and burningof the eyes. None of these
symptomswas noted in the Utirik people (14-rad
group). Following this, the people remained
asymptomatic until about 2 weeksafter the accident, when cutaneous lesions and Joss of hair de-
veloped, due largely to beta irradiation of the skin.
It was apparent when the people were first examined, a few days after exposure, that the lym-
Table |
Summary of Fallout Effects *
Estimated gamma
dose (rads)
Group*
Composition
Fallout observed
Rongelap
Atlingnae
64 Marshallese
18 Marshallese
Heavy (snowlike)
Moderate (mistlike)
175
69
Moderate ({mistlike)
None
78
14
Rongerik
Uurik
28 Americans
157 Marshallese
*Also exposed were 23 Japanese fishermen whoreceived a sublethal dose.
5008286
Extent of skin lesions
Extensive
Less extensive
Slight
No skin lesions or epilation