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Summary and Conclusions
The findings on the Marshallese population accidentally exposed to radioactive
fallout 13 years ago allow accurate documentation of the effects of localized
fallout radiation on human beings.
Since this population did not protect
themselves during the exposure to fallout, this represents an extreme case
particularly in regard to the skin and from internally deposited radionuclides.
The radiation exposure resulted in 3 general classes of injury:
a.
the
syndrome of whole body radiation injury produced by penetrating gamma radiation,
b.
superficial radiation burns produced by soft radiation (beta and low energy
X or gamma radiations), c. radiation injury produced by the deposition of
radionuclides within the body resulting in late thyroid effects only so far.
The most serious of the acute effects was related to the hematological depression
from exposure to the gamma radiation.
The time course of hematological changes
differed in important aspects from that seen in most laboratory animals.
lymphocytes showed an early depression.
until approximately 6 weeks.
The
The neutrophils did not reach a minimum
The platelet count fell in a regular fashion
reaching a low at approximately 30 days.
The rate of recovery of the blood
elements in the Marshallese was slower than
would be anticipated from.
animal data and was not considered complete until about ll years after exposure.
These findings are consistent with the incomplete data available on the Japanese
exposed at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with the findings in the Japanese fishermen
exposed in the same accident, and with the findings on human beings exposed in
reactor accidents.
They are also consistent with findings in patients exposed
therapeutically either to total body radiation or internally administered
radionuclides.
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As a result of this accident, the potentialities of serious injury to the
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