Volume 66, No. 6
June 1967
I221
LATE EFFECTS OF RADIOACTIVE IODINE IN FALLOUT
was noted, however, except perhaps for
some increased menses in a few women. By
i year the blood counts recovered, but not
quite to the exact level of the comparison
populations.
There was a slight weight loss noted in
the majority of the people during the first
2 months, but we were not sure whether
this was related to radiation exposure or
was due to change in environment. However, no illnesses occurred that we could
relate to radiation effect. We did not have
to use any special form «° treatment in
these people as a result of exposure to the
penetrating gamma radiation. Antibiotics
were used for ordinary infections that oc-
cyte count dropped even lower. The neu-
trophils fell to about half the comparison
population levels by about 6 weeks, but fortunately no infections developed that we
could blame on the depression of neutrophils. The platelets became depressed to
about one third to one eighth of the level
of the comparison populations, reaching a
nadir at about 28 to 30 days. No bleeding
active materials by inhalation and inges-
tion. The island was quite contaminated
from the fallout, and the people absorbed
significant amounts of radioactive materials
in the food and water. We were able to
detect this by radiochemical urinalyses beginning a few weeks after the accident.
Table 2 shows the radioisotopes that were
calculated to be present in these people,
extrapolating back to the first day as com-
pared with the activity calculated to be
+25 —
\
5
77 CONTROL BASELINE
ui
a
and texture. As a residual effect of these
“beta burns” we see scarring in some 20
cases at this time with pigment aberrations
persisting in some. Recently we have noted
the development of benign nevi in areas
that had been involved with “beta burns.”
Figure 6 shows such lesions. However, there
have not been any degenerative changes
noted in the skin or any evidence of malignancy.
The whole-body exposure from gamma
radiation resulted in potentially the most
serious effects. This was reflected largely in
depression of the blood cells (Figure 7).
The lymphocyte count dropped to about
half that of the comparison population by
3 to 4 days, and in the children the lympho-
PERCENT DEPRESSION
6on
oO
pletely regrown and was of normal color
4
Ficure 6. Recently developed benign nevi in an
area previously affected with “beta burns.”
tion to radiation exposure.
In addition to the whole-body and skin
exposure, a third type of radiation exposure
was from the internal absorption of radio-
{
—.i
f
i
;
_
“WHITE BLOOD CELLS
(AVERAGE COUNTS}
-PLATELETS
{AVERAGE COUNTS)
=
t
Po,
Pd
i
6
_ 25 50
r—DAYS ——— Mo.
2
3
4
5 6
YEARS
7
8
9
ID
It
“
TIME AFTER FALLOUT
Figure 7. Depression of blood elements in Ronge-
lap people (percent depression compared with average counts of unexposed people).
PTil geete
curred, but these showed no obviousrela-