THYROID ABNORMALITIES IN A MARSHALLESE POPULATION
EXPOSED TO RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT IN 1954
Vr:
Propress Report, Auperrst—Ht,
19066
During the past three years the development of thyroid nodules and
hypothyroidism has been noted in a number of Marshallese people of Rongelap
Island in the Pacific who had been exposed to radioactive fallout 12 years
ago in 1954.
This development is believed to be a late effect of irradiation
of the thyroid gland from internal
absorption of radioiodines and external
gamma radiation at the time of the fallout,
There were 64 people (54 now
MAEStlh
living) who received a whole body dosé of gamma radiation of 175 rads,
extensive direct irradiation of the skin from deposition of fallout thereon
and internal absorption of radionuclides in the fallout,
Ronpelap people (14 now Living)
Eighteen other
received a lesser exposure of 69 rads gamma
along with less dose to the skin and
fatlernal
absorption of
fess amounts of
radioclements,
During the 2-day period following the accident before the evacuation of
the people occurred,
the inhabitants absorbed radionuclides in the fallout by
inhalation and ingestion of contaminated food and drinking water,
Based on
radiochemical analyses of pooled urine samples taken several weeks after the
accident
it was estimated that che adult thyroid pland received about 160 rads
from the radioiodine plus another 175 rads from the external pamma radiation,
Taken into consideration in those calculations were the time and length of the
fallout period, the isotope energies of the various iodine nuclides, and the
yield of the isotopes,
Extrapolation to thyroid doses that the smaller thyroid
‘glands of the young children received was ‘in the range of 700-1400 rads in the
more heavily exposed group.
Though “beta burns’ were prevalent in the neck