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select a separate comparison group for Utirik.
One of the questions concerned the fact that the children of the exposed
islanders have not been included in the regular examination list.
This was
done because large groups of children of radiation-exposed parents have been
studied in Japan.
Since these studies, including examinations of Marshallese
children of exposed parents, revealed no distinct genetic effects,
it was felt
that regular examinations of the Marshallese children born of exposed parents
was not necessary.
To quote from a letter from one of the foremost human.
geneticists, Dr. J. V. Neel, Professor of Numan Genetics at the University
of Michigan: '...
there is not evidence that genetic change was induced in
children borm of the exposed Marshallese any more than there is unequivocal
evidence of damage in the children born of the exposed Japanese,."'
out, however,
that there are some 15-20 dominantly inherited syndromes that
might possibly be related to radiation exposure.
Even if one of these oc-
curred, it would be impossible to say it was due to radiation.
It is most
unlikely that any Marshallese child would develop such a syndrome.
less,
if any child or an exposed Marshallese did,
treatment.
He pointed
Neverthe-
they would receive special
<A program for examination of all children on Utirik is discussed
later in this letter.
Several of your questions suggest that the dose received by the Utirik
people might have been higher than calculated.
There were markedearly effects
in the Rongelap people, but the lack of acute symptoms and the minimal blood
changes detectable only by statistical means in Utirik individuals is consistent with the smaller dose of 14 rads (see Table I).
In answer to your question about lingering radiation,
there has been a small additional dose
iC is true that
to the people living on Utirik and
Rongelap from a slight amount of fallout left on the islands.
However,
this
dose is small and would not be expected to produce any observable effects.
Radiation from the fallout is getting less and less.
Fe
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The dose estimates