rarv village was constructed for the Rongelap
people (including the 18 from Ailingnae) on
Majuro Atoll several hundred miles to the south,
others may have an opportunity to make further
calculationsif desired.
Table | lists exposure data on the various popu-
were examined at yearly intervals by a special
- medical team. In July 1957, after careful evalu-
summary, except where data are broken down into
more detail, the exposed group includes the people
exposed on Rongelap and on Ailingnae (subject
wheretheylived for the following 32 vears and
ation of radioactive contamination, Rongelap
Istand was considered safe for habitation. A new
village was constructed. and the Rongelap people
were moved there by Navy ship. The annual medical survevs have since been carried out on Rongelap Island.
.
A group of more than 100 Rongela: »veople,
who wererelatives of the exposed peop: ut had
been awayfrom the island at the timeof the acci-
dent, moved back with the Rongelap people to
their home island and have served as an ideal
comparison population for the studies. The num-
ber has since increased to > 200. Following the
initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwajalein in
195+, repeat surveys have been carried out on
these people about every 3 years, including the 12-
year 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 num-
ber of Rongelap people nowresiding at these
atolls, and also groups of children who represent
parts of the control group used for the growth and
development studies of the exposed children.
The accumulation of data from these surveysis
becoming increasingly voluminous. Since condi-
tions have not been favorable for performance of
extensive statistical analyses or use of electronic
computing procedures to store and manipulatethe
data, the annual survey reports published by this
Laboratory are made as completeas possible. This
report, therefore, includes a considerable amount
of raw data, much of it in appendices, so that
lations involved in the fallout. In the following
Nos. | to 86).
Summaryof Past Findings
Reports have been published on the medical
findings of survevs made at the following times
after exposure: initial examination,' 6 months,
1 year.’ 2 years,’ 3 years,’ + vears,” 5 and 6 vears,’
? years,” 8 vears,” and 9 and 10 vears.*” Appendix
| gives a more complete list of reports, including
outside publications, on the results of medical surveys of the Marshallese exposed to fallout and in-
cludes a section on the radiation ecological studies
of these Islands published largely by the Univer-
sity of Washington group. The following is a brief
summary of the medical findings previously
reported.
.
During the first 24 to 48 hr after exposure, about
*4 of the people exposed on Rongelap Island experienced anorexia and nausea. A few vomited
and had diarrhea, manyalso experienced itching
and burning of the skin, and a few complained of
lacrimation and burning ofthe eves. None of these
svmpioms was noted in the Utirik people 1 i4-rad
group}. Following this, the people remained
asymptomatic until about 2 weeks after the accident, when cutaneous lesions and loss of hair de-
veloped, due largely to beta irradiation of the skin.
It was apparent when the people were first ex-
amined, a few days after exposure, that the lvm-
Table |
Summary of Fallout Effects
Group*
Composition
Fallout observed
Estimated gamma
dose (rads)
Rongelap
Ailingnae
64 Marshallese
18 Marshallese
Heavy (snowltke)
Moderate ( mistlike)
175
69
Rongerik
Curik
28 Americans
157 Marshallese
Moderate(mistlike)
None
78
14
* Also exposed were 23 Japanese tishermen whoreceived a sublethal dose.
Extentof skin lesions
Extensive
Less extensive
Slight
No skin lesions or epilation