10
Table 1
Location of Rongelap People
Exposed
~
Adult
Majuro
Children
3
Kwajalein
Rongelap
Eniaetok
Other atolls
4
33
8
26
0
23
1
32
30
37
3
2
Total
of exposed parents
]
6
0
Table 2
Rongelap
(220 people,
Age.yr
1961)
<I15
45.4%
15-24
12.3
35-44
23.6
age,yr
19.5
45-64
765
Median
14.1
4.5
childrenof
exposed
adults)
30.0%
13.8
17.2
10.3
8.6
14.5
8
Children
7
23
75
l
216
15
120
348
9
25
24
0
12
13
59
5
109
Total
67
27
Radionuclide Body Burden Evaluation
Since results of the last survey indicated that
exposed (116
Rongelap People,jl
Adult
.
Percent Distribution of Population by Age Groups
unexposed
Unexposed
Children
Cs'" levels in the Rongelap people had about
reached equilibrium and that Zn"levels were drop-
Marshall
Islands
U.S.
(1961) (1960)
43.1% 28.7%
14.4
13.8
20.0
27.1
18.0
29.5
14.6
7.4
20.8
9.6
cal analyscs was also examined for sugar in the
case of 199 Rongelapese.'?*
ping, i¢ was considered that gamma spectroscopy
with the 21-ton whole-body counter would not be
necessary again for several years. Therefore, no
gamma spectrographic analyses were done during
this survey. However,thirty-five 24-hr urine samples and one pool sample (12 liters) were col-
lected for radiochemical analysis for Sr°°, In addition, samples of rib and vertebrac taken at autopsy
from the 78-yr-old woman who had dicd were
brought back for Sr®* analysis; also 4 coconut crabs
collected at Rongelap.* *
Results and Discussion
Urine Analyses
Urine total iodides and creatinine levels were
obtained on 10 casual urine samples of Rongelapese who had previously shown slight elevation of
their protein bound iodine (PBI) levels. Total
todine and creatinine were determined.
Routine urine analyses were carried out on the
majority of people. This included determinations
of protcin and hyperglucosuria by reagent paper
strips. **
*The Clinical Laboratory of the South Nassau Communities Hospital carried out these analyses.
**Combistx, Ames Company, Inc., Elkhart, Indiana.
The census of Rongelap people in March 1962
was 348, of whick 82 were in the exposed group
(including 4 children exposed ia utero at the time
of the accident), 37 were children of exposed parents, and 229 were unexposed people, Table |
shows their locations. In Table 2 the population
is broken down according to percent distribution in
various age groups and compared with that of the
Marshall Islands as a whole for 1961 and of the
U.S. for 1960. The table also shows the median
age. The lower median age of the Marshallese
**We are grateful to Dr. F. P. Hardy, Jr. and Dr.
J. Warley of the Health and Safety Laboratory of the New
York Operations Office of the AEC for performing these
analyses.