BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
(3) Growth and development. In the exposed Rongelap children from about
4 through 9 years of age there was a slight lag in bone maturation
(based on X-ray studies of the left wrist), and these children were
slightly shorter and weighed slightly less than unexposed children of
the same age.
(4) In utero effects, pregnancy, fertility. Pregnancies in the exposed
group are believed to have been in the normal range for the Marshallese
with regard to number, course, and termination. No abnormalities
were observed in the babies irradiated in utero.
(5) Psychic effects.
Little or no effect on the psyche related to their ra-
diation exposure or displacement has been observed in the Rongelap
people.
(6) Hematological effects. Lymphocytes and platelets (mean population
counts) in the exposed groups continue to lag in complete recovery as
compared with the unexposed people. The low values found may be
related to widespread parasitism and chronic infections (skin, caries).
These diseases may also be a factor in the elevated total serum pro-
teins (average of about 8.0 grams) with high gamma globulin fraction
noted in most of the Marshailese.
b. Beta lesions
There remained in the exposed Rongelapese 15 residual beta lesions,
which showed varying degrees of mild atrophy, scarring, and pigment
aberration. No chronic radiation dermatitis was noted.
An increase in incidence of certain conjunctival and corneal abnormalities was noted in the exposed groups.
c. Internal radiation
There were no acute or subacute effects from internal deposition of
fallout isotopes because the body burden of radionuclides was low.
2. Late effects
a. Penetrating radiation
(1) Premature aging, shortening of life span. One death (at the time of
this survey) or 1.5 percent incidence in the exposed Rongelap people
compares favorably with 5 deaths of 3.0 percent mortality in the
Utirik people. In general, the exposed people did not appear older or
to have aged faster than the unexposed Marshallese.
(2) Degenerative diseases. No increase in degenerative diseases was
noted in the irradiated people as compared with the unexposed populations.
(3) Carcinogenesis, leukemia. No cancer or leukemia was seen. Examination of blood smears failed to reveal any consistent decrease in alkaline phosphatase activity of neutrophiles or increase in basophiles,
indicative of early leukemia.
(4) Ophthalmological effects. No loss of visual acuity or appearance of
opacity of the lens was seen that could be related to radiation effect.
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