15
MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE PEOPLE OF RONGELAP AND UTIRIK ISLANDS —
THIRTEEN, FOURTEEN, AND FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT RADIATION
(MARCH 1967, MARCH 1968, AND MARCH 1969)
; Introduction
This report presents in detail the results of medical surveys carried out during the past 3 years
(March 1967, 1968, and 1969) on the people of
Rongelap and Utirik Atolls who had been exposed
to fallout radiation in March 1954. Earlier findingsare also reviewed. Thelast detailed report
(BNL 50029)! covered the surveys of March
1965 and 1966, 11 and 12 years after the accident.
In view of the seriousness of recent findingsre-
garding developmentof thyroid abnormalities,
continuation of annual medical examinations
and publication of detailed reports is considered
important.
These people had been accidently exposed to
fallout radiation following a detonation of a high
yield thermonuclear device during experimentsat
Bikini in the Pacific Proving Grounds in March
1954. An unpredicted shift in winds caused a deposition of significant amounts of fallout on four
inhabited Marshall Islands to the east of Bikini
on this island and no skin effects developed. These
data are summarized in Table 1.
The exposed people were evacuated from these
islands by plane and ship about 2 daysafter the
accident and taken to Kwajalein Naval Base
about 150 miles to the south, where they received
extensive examinationsfor the following 3 months.
Duringthis period vigorous efforts were necessary
to decontaminate the skin completely.
In view of the generally negative findings on
the American servicemen,they were later returned
to their duty stations. The Utirik people were
also allowed to return to their home island, where
radioactive contamination wasslight enough to
allow safe habitation. Because Rongelap Atoll was
considered to be too highly contaminated, a temporary village was constructed for the Rongelap
people (includingthe 18 from Ailingae) on Majuro
Atoll several hundred miles to the south, where
they lived for the following 3% years and were examined at yearly intervals by a special medical
(see Figure 1) and also on 23 Japanese fishermen
aboard theirfishing vessel, the Lucky Dragon. Of
the inhabitants of the island of Rongelap, 105
nautical miles away from the detonation, 64 re-
ceived the largest fallout exposure: an estimated
dose of 175 rads of whole-body gammaradiation,
contamination of the skin sufficientto result in
beta burns, and slight internal absorption ofra-
dioactive materials through inhalation andinges-
tion. Another 18 Rongelap people away on a nearby island (Ailingnae), whereless fallout occurred,
received only an external gamma dose of about
69 rads. There were 28 American servicemen on
the island of Rongerik further to the east whoreceived about the same amountof radiation as did
the Rongelap people on Ailingnae. Lastly, 157
Sunn
o
ws
9
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eo
Marshallese on Utirik Island, about 200 miles
further east, received an estimated 14 rads of
whole-bodyradiation. The fallout was notvisible
Figure 1. Mapoffallout area,
Marshali Islands, March 1, 1954.
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MAJURO S
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