‘
FALLOUT EFFECTS—CONARD & HICKING
f
Gane
Inteinal absorption of radionuclides, largely
:
from eating and drinking contaminated foed and
water, and to a lesser extent from inhalation of
fallout, resulted in detectable radioactivity in
urine samples. However, during the first few days
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only
for “Sr and the radioisotopes of iodine. The dose
to the thyroid glands of the adults from the radioiodines absorbed was estimated to be about 150
to 160 rads.
Follow-Up
Health Status.—Medical evaluation of the health
status of the exposed people over the years since
the accident hes revealed about the same incidence
of illness and disease as noted in the unexposed
population with certain exceptions noted below.
Generai health and nutrition have continued to he
satisfactory and comparable to the unexposed
comparison population. Annual hematologic follow-up studies revealed that the levels of white
blood cells and platelets of the peripheral blood
in the exposed group never quite reached thelevels
of the unexposed comparison population (Fig 1).
Mortality and Aging.—There were ten deaths in
the exposed population over the ten-year period:
this represents a mortality rate near that observed
for tne other Marshallese people. A recent study
in which certain criteria of aging were put on a
numencai basis did not reveal any differences in
aze scores between the exposed and unexposed
groups.’
Fertuitv. Miscarriages, Stillbirths, and Genetic
Effects.—F.ffects on fertility were not apparent
as judgea by comparison of the birth rates for the
exposed and unexpore+ populations, Possibly related to radiation exposure was the fact unat during the first four years after exposure an increase
im miscarriages and stillbirths was noted in the
exposed women, 41% of the births (13 in 32
births) in this group terminated in nonviable offspring compared with 21% (8 in 38 birth.) in the
unexposed women. No specific genctic studies have
been carried out, but no difference in incidence
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Vong,
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SLALISUICAL
ue Lie
ods, comparisons of weight, stature, and bone age
(the latter determined from rventgenograms of
ine wrisi and Knec} were made between exposed
and unexposed children of the same age groups.
Boys vapussd at
| to & vears of age showed ic-
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group, it was not statistically significant. The exposed girls showed no significant differences compared with unexposedgirls. The siight retardation
of growth noted in the bovs suggests that radiation
may be a causal factor, although possible mechanisms are not clear. The dose to the bones from internally absorbed isotopes is believed to have heen
too smaii to have affected bone growth. These find-
ings are being published in detail by Sutow et al.‘
Developm. -t of Thyroid Nodules.—Thyroid nodules were detected in three girls nine and ten
years after exposure; two girls were 13 and one
was 14 years of age at the time of detection. These
girls were in the higher dose group in which there
were 29 children (<18 years of age); 17 of the 29
were girls, with 6 girls in the 10 to 15 year range.
Of 75 unexposed comparison children, 37 were gi:ls
and 21 of the girls were in the age range of 10 to
14 years. Wu thyroid nodules were noted in this
latter group. No iymph node involvement was
grossly evident. The individuals were hospitalized
and two had complete thyroidectomies and the
third a partial thyroidectomy. Grersly, the glands
had a cobblestone appearance with multiple hard
nodules and were at first thought to be malignant.
Sections of the tissues were reviewed by a number
of pathologists, all of wl om agreed that the iodules were not. mal snant and resembled in many
respects adenor itoid goiter seen with locdine deficiency. with its characteristic regenerative rather
than neoplastic proliferation. It should be noted
that goiters are rare in the Marshall islands since
no indir de® sency exists (Fig 2 and 3).
S. Seviiun of Wbyruia giana shows Characteristic multi
pie, discrete nodules with wide variation in size and
growth pattern. Some consist of microfollicular tissue,
some of coiidid cysts, while others show hyperplasia
with papitlary infoiding of epithelium.
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tardation of statural growth as well as bone are.
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Oi aunoiiia' ilics ha Clute UF eApuseU cumpared
with those of unexposed women has been observed.
Growth and De: clopment Studtes.—Anthropoinetric examinations of the 42 exposed and 75 unexposed children have been conducted over the past
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