36
Table 22
Mean RBC, Hemoglobin, MCH, and Reticulocyte Levels by Age and Sex, 1959
Rongelap exposed
RBC (10°),
Heb., g,
MCH, mug,
Rongelapcontrol
Males age 5-15
4.45+0.5* (10) **
4.46
(2)
4.6 0.5 (22)
Females
4.21404 (31)
4,310.36 (9)
4.4 0.4 (53)
>15
>5
4.7140.4 (19)
5.15
(4)
4.8 +£0.5 (44)
Males age 5-15
12.3 +0.5 (10)
12.2
(2)
13.1 1.1 (22)
Females
12.5 +£0.95 (31)
13.2 40.87 (9)
12.9 2.1 (52)
mls
>>5
Mates age 5-15
Females
Retic., %,
Ailingnae exposed
S15
>5
Males age 3-15
> 15
Females
—>5
14.4 £1.3
(19)
13.4
28.0 +3.3 (10)
27.7
30.8 +2.5 (19)
0.21
(2)
30.0
29.8 43.3 (31)
0.13
0.31
(4)
(4)
30.5 +1.9 {9)
(9)
(15)
0.05
0.3
(23)
(2)
(4)
0.17
(7)
14.8 +1.8 (44)
28.5 1.9 (22)
30.7 3.4 (44)
29.4 £2.7 (52)
0.29
0.43
0.41
(17)
(42)
(48)
*Standard deviation.
**The numbers in parenthese are the numbers of people in the groups.
electronic counter, and the hemoglobin andreticulocyte counts, were sufficient indices for evaluation of erythropoetic function.
Erythrocytes and Hemoglobins.
The mean
levels of erythrocytes and hemoglobins (Table 22)
were generally somewhat below those accepted as
average for Americans and were only slightly
lower in the exposed Rongelap population than in
the unexposed group. Scattergrams(Figures 42
and 43) of the individual red cell counts plotted
by age for exposed people of both sexes show more
of the counts below the average level of the unex-
posed group than aboveit, and a plot of percent-
age cumulative distribution of counts (Figure 44)
showsthe curve for the exposed group distinctly
displaced to theleft.
Ailingnae Blood Counts. Counts in the Ailingnae people (a group of 15 who had received an
estimated 69 r from fallout) are summarized in
Tables 21 and 22 and in Appendix 2, and thein-
dividual counts are shown in Appendices 3 and4.
These counts generally averaged slightly higher
than in the exposed Rongelap people but lower
than in the unexposed people.
Price-Jones Curves. Price-Jones curvesfor determination of red cell size distribution on 17
Rongelap people (exposed and unexposed) were
averaged and compared with an averaged curve
for 53 Americans of the same age group (Figure
45). The Marshallese curve is displacedslightly to
the left, which indicates a slight tendency toward
microcytosis.
Serum fron.
Serum iron levels were < 100 ug/
100 m1 serum in only 5 persons, all unexposed.
Serum Protein.
Serum protein levels in 1959
were again higher than normal in many cases.
The range in the exposed group was6.6 to 8.4 g
with a mean of 7.45, and in the unexposed group
from 6.6 to 9.0 g with a meanof 7.55.
Comments. The peripheral levels of blood elements have shown considerable fluctuation from
year to year. The explanation is not known. One
might speculate that, since upper respiratory and
gastrointestinal infections are common, the temporal relationship of the hematological examinations
to periodsof bacterial infection mightstrongly influence the generallevel of certain elements, particularly the leukocytes. It is not known whether
the drop in 1960 leukocyte levels was so influenced. As pointed out, the influenza epidemic in
early [960 apparently spared Rongelap Atoll.
Since hematological examinations were not done
on the unexposed group in 1960, it was not possible to evaluate exposed levels with relation to
ca
peg
that the erythrocyte counts done on the Coulter
radiation effects.
The only blood elements at 5 years post expo-
sure that showedslightly lower levels in the ex-
posed group werethe platelets and erythrocytes.
Erythrocyte counts had not been done before
1959. Re-examination of earlier hematocrit levels
by construction of scattergrams and cumulative
distribution curves showed a slight tendencyfor
wt *q
The explanation is not clear. However,it was felt