124
DASA 2019-2
which is apparently about ten years after the exposuresfor the first
case?
CONARD: That's right.
I think that's very likely to be the case,
that snost of thease children were going into adolescence and there was
a greater requirement perhaps on the thyroid due to increased metabolism and this could put a greater strain on the thyroid, and then they
began showing the effects of a hypothyroid state.
Table 3 shows the distribution of cases; ''R' represents Rongelap,
"A" Alinginae, "U"' Utirik, and "C' control. Here in the first four
groups we have children less than ten years of age. You will notice
that in the Rongelap exposed group there were 19 children that re~
ceived a gamma dose of 175 and a thyroid dose of 714 to 1400 rads.
We found on the last survey another thyroid nodule, so we have 84
percent instead of 78.9. The incidence in the Alinginae group—six
children, none; Utirik—40 children, none; and the control children—
61, none. Inthe Rongelap adults there were three nodules in the 36.
The Alinginae adults Lad one nodule, which was not typical of the
other radiation-induced cases. You can see that in the other popula-
tions there was only a small percentage of nodules and most of these
were in older people which appears to be a normal incidence.
Table 3. Thyroid nodules (including hypothyroidism) in Marshallese
populetions.
{
Estimated
Age
Ne. in} Gamma
Thyroid
Group {At Exposure Group Dose (rads)| Dose (I*, rads)
%e
Thyroid
Nodules
R
<10
9
\75
700 - 1400
84.2
A
<10
6
69
275 - 550
0.0
U
<10
40
14
55- 110
0.0
Cc
<10
61
a
0
0.0
R
>10
36
175
160
5.5
A
>10
8
69
55
12.5
U
>10
59
14
15
3.4
Cc
>to
133
0
0
2.3
{R=Rongelap; A=Ailingnoe; U=Utirik; C=Ur exposed)