In the Marshallese the dose to the skin could not be calculated with any degree of accuracy due to the aforementioned. reasons. The majority of the beta radiation was of low energy(avg. 0.1 mev) and accounted for the fact that most of the lesions were superficial in nature. However there was sufficient penetration of more energetic components at the level of hair follicles to result in temporary epilation. Due to the rapid attenuation of beta particles in tissue, the skin surface dose may have been quite high. The contribution of beta radiation to the skin of the Marshallese from the groundhas been estimated to have been about 2000 rep to the feet, 600 rep at hip level and 300 rep to the head, These doses were insufficient in themselves to produce detectable lesions though they probably contributed significantly to the severity of the foot lesions that occurred. 12.5.3 Internal Dose. The fallout material was about 10% soluble in water and completely soluble in acid. Ingestion appeared to be a more important route for internal absorption than did inhalation. The activity in the air settles out fairly rapidly, but contaminated food, water and utensils retain their activity for long periods of time ( Cohn et al.). The amount of fission products reaching the blood stream through the respiratory tract is a function of particle size, and the solubility of the airborne contaminants. The majority of particles with which the activity was associated wes considerably larger than the optimum size for deposition in the alveolar tissue of the lung. Thus the probability of the retention of inhaled airborne contamination (except possibly for radioiodines) is not appreciable during the exposure period. Thi. was borne out by the fact that animals sacrificed at early intervals from Rongelap 50071303