RMI Nuclear Justice Documents

722

GROWTH AND RADIATION

aged about 0.7 uc for cesium™’ and 0.4 pc

TABLE I

for zinc®® per individual, well below the

ExrosurEe Dara* Marsuazy Isuaxp INHABITANTS
Distance
Exposure Dose
from Btkini (Whole Body
(Nautical
Gamma

Atoll

Rongelap
Ailingnae

Utirik

Mites)

Radiation)

Totet

105
sot

1750
6or

61
18

200

lac

accepted permissible levels, and imparting

a dose of only about 100 mr annually (less

Numter
P.
‘ LopPeon
Under

A

|G, Years°
Slt
7

157

1

* 23 Japanese fishermen aboard the vessel “Lucky Dragon" near
Rongelap and 28 American service men atationed at another atoll
were also subjected to the fallout rudiation on the same day.
t Four additional subjects were in utero at the time of exposure.
¢ Though Ailingnae was closer than Rongelap to Bikini it was more
out of the pattern of heavy fallout.

of internal absorption of radioactive material, presumably from ingestion of contaminated food and water.’? Body burdens of

radio-nuclides have been measured by
radiochemical urine analysis and gamma

spectrographic analysis; the latter was done

in a 21-ton steel room carried to the islands
especially for this purpose. Cs**’ and Zn**
have been the principal gamma emitters

detected (residual fallout contamination).
The highest levels of these isotopes aver-

than that normally received from natural
gamma sources). During thefirst few days
the radioisotopes of iodine exceeded the
accepted permissible level (about 6.4 uc on
the first day). It was estimated that the
thyroid glands of the adults received 100 to
150 rads from the radioiodines (with some-

what higher values for the children). No
acute effects were noted from these internal

exposures.
Sr**, a beta emitter which is selectively
deposited in bones, was another considera-

tion. Based on urinary excretion values**:'

and boneanalyses from autopsy specimens,

the maximum Sr® in the adult bones was

calculated to be about 15 pe/gm Ca. Since
this value was higher by a factor of about
10 in children, because of greater bone

absorption, the value would be 150 pc/gm
Ca. Using the assumptions accepted in the
United Nations report,** this value cor-

respondedto a dose to the children’s bones

TABLE II

Age at

E

$

rposure

(yr)

Under 2

ez

Number with Radiation Symptoms:

Number

Exposed

Skin

Nausea Vomiting Diarrhea Epilation| yesion

M

5

4

F

3

2

2-3

M

3

4

8

1

1

4-6

M

2

2

1

F

1

7-10

M
F

s
5

11-15

M

2

16-20

M

moe

F

F

F

t

75b0

6
1

3

od

Rapration Symptoms IN RoNGELAP CHILDREN

1

1

1
1

Leuko-

penia

Thrombo-

cytopenia

4

4

5

s

$

2

2

3

Fs
4

8

2

2

2

1

1

3.

4

2

1
I
2

1

1

1

2
5

$
5

8
8

2

6

8

2

2

1

|

3

5
1

5

4

1

1

3