2 oat atte

incidenwe in the exposcd Rongclap people than in
the unexposed group and the low-level expased
Utirik group. Whether ur not this is corcclated
with radiation exposure cannot be ascertained,
The data must be interpreted with considerable

caution since (a4) the populations are small, (1d) the

unex pased population was not examined before
6957 and has undergone changes due to buthat-

trition and addition, (c) the diagnosis of malig-

nancy is ned certain incall cases becuuse of the difficulty of obtaining autopsics for verification, and
tal the types of malignancy were not those that

have beeu correlated with radistion esposureinthe
Japanese caposcd at Livoshinia and Nagasakit??

VI. Radiological Monitoring

of Personnel and Environment
A. GENERAL

Figure 53. Steel roomused

fur whole-bady gamma spectrascopy.?

During their 3-vear sojourn on Majuro (1934-

1057), the Rongelap peaple’s body burdens of

Figure 54. Arrangement of lead bricks
used for whole-body counting.

radionuclides decreased rapidly, as shown by

Laboratory in Chicago. The finding of detect>

able levels of /Cs and “An (higher inthe Utiriks)
indicated the feasibility of using this technique in

the lands, When the Rongelip people returned
totheir home istand in b957, the lawlevels of en-

Vironincotal contamination were soon reflected in
tnereased body burdens of some radionuclides. A

number of radiological surveys!)ac Rongelap
and Uirik have been carried out in conjunction
with peroonel monitoring. largely by Cniversity
of Washington stuf sacl more recently also by a
group from the BN1. Heath Physics and Safety
Division. These studies have provided important
infurmation on the movements of radionuchdes
from the sat through the murine and plant food

chain to man and should prove uscful in predicting Cature bady-buarden patterns of people renin.
ing to Bikind and Eniwetok, The principal residual
radioactive clements on Rongelip aod Utirik were
ICs, Se,Znand ole, with small but measure
able amounts of other fission products and neutron:

3

FR
2

Prirae +

Rongelap and 2 Utirik people at Argonne National

“

,

there. fa 1057 Ch vears aficr the accident) gamma
spectrograplic analyses were carried out on 4

7

*

*
jouw eet he
we a

posed toa very low levels of cosidual radioactivity

ne
i:

ee a

radiochemical analyses of urine, By G months
radionuclides in the uring were barely detectalle.*
Vhe Ctirik people were moved back to their home
iMand after the initial cauminations and were ex.

a

Ae

:

Drsa Ws
eee-

iw

..

\

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