x : . ree . be ; : = E A 3 , be - aes Me . a 56 i 6 ; ‘ . Distance NO. OF Amount of Estimated tj 4 ' Atolt from Bikini people fallout gamma dose : : Hs Roneeiap Ailingae ~ 100 miles ~ 110 miles 67 19 if 4 Table 1. Exposures of Marshallese Populations Utirik t ~ 300 miles | oe i F l Hl | A | ; t fs i? | 4 - 14 rad , i z a. barium, and iodine. The significance of the radioiodine exposure was not fully appreciated at that time. When thyroid abnormalities began to appear, a re-evaluation of thyroid dose indicated an estimated dose of were related to the smaller sizes of their thyroid glands. The largest Adis . without who ha yUsml have tw The a abnorm Utirik f followir to the radiatio Ona fatron with decreasing thyroid hormone levels indicated decreased function of the gland. Two boys developed frank myxedema. lt was about this time (1964) that thyroid nodules began appearing. particularly in the exposed children. In subsequent years, the nodules continued to appear in the Rongelap and Ailingnae group and, beginning about 1967, in the Uunk groups. Table 2 shows the numbers of subjects who have had X irradi the Ma: 133} anc rate tha The t: exposur retardation in a number of exposed Rongelap children. and later corre- thyroid nodules up to the present. numbers of nodules, both benign and malignant. and the Uurik group also appears to have increased numbers compared with the unexposed Table 2. Thyroid Nodules Appearing from 1964 to 1979. Rongelap and Ailingnae Hh Dun: develor the Ma Group PH aR yee Parado: nodule: The first indication of thyroid trouble was the finding of growth ; 1 childre: of thyr The Rongelap and Ailingnae people are seen to have greatly increased ; 1 Not visible component was '""], but shorter-lived isotopes of iodine, particularly 7], 3331, and '5], contributed more than half the dose. a 4 a ya bq ti | ni i" 158 175 rad 69 rad i 4 | rR : Heavy(snow-like) Moderate (mist-like) 335 rad to Rongelap adults and doses ranging from 700 to 1400 rad in the children exposed at Jess than 10 years of age. Lower doses were calculated for the other populations. The higher doses in the children ; . people. i ‘i i i . H — (135-1150 rads) Utirik (30-95 rads) Unexposed ‘Total nodules Cancer” 9.5% (15/158) 1.9% (3/158) 6.6% (4/86) 0.9% (4/437) “The number of cancer casesis tentative since final diagnoses on some recent cases are pending. but ais which r Table 3. 4.7% (29/437) which ; neutror —_———— 36.0% (31/86) exposur G Rongelap (135-115 Utirik (30-95 ro Uneapes *Someo' and nod: