-14- gut. However, the external gamma ray exposure was sufficient to produce these symptoms alone, so it is difficult to assess the extent to which the internal exposure contributed to these acute effects. The internal radiation hazard associated with fallout appears to be primarily due to long term chronic irradiation rather than to its acute effects. 12.7. Late Effects 12.7.1 General Health. Except for a few specific findings the exposed people of Rongelap have remained generally in good health during the 13 years since their exposure with no greater incidence of illnesses or degenerative diseases than seen in the unexposed comparison populations examined. 12.7.2 Mortality, Fifteen deaths have occurred amongst the 82 exposed Rongelap people giving a death rate somewhat greater than that of the unexposed populations. However there were a greater number of older people in the exposed group. There was no definite relation ofthe cause of death to radiation exposure. 12.7.3 Aging. Studies have been carried out to see if radiation produced any increased aging by measurement of such things as skin elasticity, hair greying, baldness, visual acuity, accommodation and arcus senilis of the eyes, audiometric measurements, blood pressure, strength, neuromuscular function, and body potassium levels (Conard,Eicher et al.). criteria showed good correlation with aging. Most of these By combining values for these narameters a biological age score for each individual was obtained (see Fig.16). However no significant difference in aging of the exposed as compared with the 9007311