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W. H. ADAMS: LATE MEDICAL CONSEQUENCES OF EXPOSURE TO RADIOACTIVE
LATE MEDICAL FINDINGS
n, since the radiation
internal exposures, a
y not cover the. range
en Medical Program
Thirty-six years of observation continue to show no detectable increase in mortality in the
exposed population (Figure 1). The survival curves of the Rongelap population, which received a
whole body radiation dose of 190 rad, the Utirik population which received I! rad, and an
clude an increase in
trend to lower blood
TT
Tf
'
TT
TT ys
ToT
TT
TT
fT
TTT
TTT
T
T
Tt
T
I'eT
Tf
T
T
Ff
TT
I |
ided annual thyroid
all exposed persons,
ation (the intent being
ts, and evaluation for
sammaglobulinemia,
ated alpha-fetoprotein
There is also ongoing
ec exposed population
essel chartered by the
inteers selected from
lical institutions. The
2
fOr
ene,
s 60F
ie
=
S 50-
|
se 40>
___ RONGELAP AND AILINGNAE EXPOSED ( 86)
--— UTIRIK EXPOSED
30;
20K
0 RONGELAP COMPARISON GROUP
1a majorfactor in the
ves, for the enrallment
100% for Utirik, and
( 86)
|
7
poke
1955
[960
(posed and unexposed
of those available for
rik, and 72% for the
4
(167)
lOr
0
Figure |.
7]
1965
1970
1975
YEAR
[980
1985
[990
Percent survivors of the different exposure groups since 1954. The number of persons
in each groupis given in parentheses.
among eligible women
elect to undergo this
unexposed group of Rongelap people selected in 1957 and matched approximately by age and sex
to the exposed Rongelap group continue to be similar. This is not surprising because Japanese A-
im is distinct from the
of health care which
bomb survivors, which included a far greater number of radiation-ex posed individuals, many of
atolls. This network
000, whereas the U.S.-
shortening of life-span, even when correlated with radiation dose (9). In addition, a separate study
Ith care for all persons
s, regardless of their
health screening for that population might have led to an underestimation of the effect of radiation
who were exposed to
whom received a much higher radiation dose than the people of Rongelap, have also had no overall
of Nagasaki A-bomb survivors revealed their 1970-1984 age-specific death rates from ail causes to
be lower than controls, although it has been suggested that the effectiveness of programs providing
on mortality (10). Clearly, therefore, concern over the consequences of the 1954 exposure
iranscends mortality statistics.
273
S012ob5