NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH CLINICAL STAFF [222 TABLE 2. Estimated Body Burden of Rongelap People Tsotopes Activity at Day 1 Sr Ba Rare earth group 1.6-2.2 0,34-2.7 0-1.2 Ru Ca 0-0.013 0-0.019 WT (in thyroid gland) Fissile material Be 6.4-11.2 0-0.016 (ug) Activity at Day 82 0.19 0.021 0.03 0.0 _ 0.0 0.0 present at 82 days after exposure. The most abundant isotopes were those of strontium and iodine. However, the people excreted this material quite rapidly. When they moved back to their home island we were able to detect an increase in body burdens in both exposed and comparison population due to the slight residual activity persisting on the island. This activity was largely due to’Cs, ®Zn, and Sr. The body burdens of these elements have been ascertained from whole-body counting techniques and radiochemical urinalyses. Dur- ing the first few years after the people of — Annals of Internal Medicine ple as in the unexposed comparison popu- nen Martality; *been slightly greater e, andwe are not cer- tain if this: is eedto ratfation or not; but there are alasger smugaber of older peoplein .the” eposed~grétip, which may pardpakcotntPor this. Based onbirthrates, fert: yawn ‘to have.been- about the same in the@xposed .and the_ugexposed people. An increase wag noted.in miscarriages and stillbirths during the first 4 years after exposure of the women. During this period 13 of 30 pregnancies in the exposed group (41%) ended im é stillbirths or miscarriages, compared’with: only 8/of 49 (16%) in the unexposed women. We have carried out studies to see if radiation produced any enhancement of aging by attempting to quantify such thing} as measurement of skin elasticity, hait graying, baldness, visual acuity, accomé modation and arcus senilis of the eyes, audiometric measurements, blood pressure, strength, neuromuscular function, and body potassium levels. Most of these criteria showed good correlation with aging. By combining values for these parameters we were able to arrive at a biological age score Rongelap moved back the levels showed slight increases in these elements but have for each individual. We have not, however, detected any significant difference in aging since leveled off, and it is believed the peoin the exposed as compared withthe unple are in equilibrium now with these eleexposed population. Indeed, theBhbtle efments in their environment. The levels are fects of aging would probably bé most difkifar below the accepted permissible levels. Until the recent development of thyroid - cult to assess, andBears the tests we are using are not s ive enough to detect nodules in the Marshallese people’. there were only a few late effects of radiation that “the effects of réG@lation at this dose level. we could relate to radiation with any de- “a Degentrative@istases* have been studied and compageé in the two groups, and we gree of certainty. A Pecelle lag in recovhave not seen any difference in prevalence. ery of the white blaod*cells and platelets until about 11 years’ postexposure was be- There have been three cases of cancer: two of the female genital tract in the exposed lieved perhaps to be a lingering effect of women and one case of cancer of the thyradiation exposure on the:bone marrow. roid, which I will discuss later. Since the Figure 7 shows the percent differertte in the blood counts of the exposed Rongelap peo- numberof cases is so small, we do not know ple as compared with those of the unex-_ whether this represents any radiationinduced increase in malignancy or not. We posed population. have noted only one case of cancer in the The general health of the people remained about as good in the exposed peounexposed group. There wereno radiation-