99-21-1994 12:19
P.019
BNL-MED. DEPT.
5162825311
in Chapter III of reference (1).
HEMATOLOGIC OBSERVATIONS
It ise generally considered that changes in the blood are the
mist sensitive
biologic indices of exposure of living human beings to radiation.
Accordingly ex-
tensive simple hematologic studies vere performed on the Marshalles@.
Sines there
were no previous hematologic studies on the exposed Marshallese, it|was necessary to
set up control groups of non expesed Marshalled of the same age andjsex distribution
for comparative purposes.
I shall restrict my comments to the findings in the eroup
from Rongelap sines the tanporal sequence of events are identical if all of the ex
posed groups.
Of course the depression was less marked in the leas|severly exposed
groups.
Neutrophile Count
The absolute neutrophils count of both the younger and oldeF
age groups fell
during the second week to a valuo approximating 70 to 80% of that of
the controls.
Folloving the depression there vas an oscillation roughly around the
control value
until about the 30th post exnosure day at which time there was a prperessive decreare
in the blood count with minimum values being attained around the 45th day after ex-
posure.
It is of interest, that the depression in the children, 1
of age was greater than in the individuals who were greater than 5
Following this maximal depression there was a slow return of the nqutrophile counts
towards normal,
However at 6 months they were still depreesed.
years the neutrophile counts were back to the control level.
Atj
Howe
one year and two
at 3 years
there Was a drop in the absolute mean neutrophile count but this allso occurred in
the control population.
It is not known whether lowered counts represent a popiu-
lation trend as has been noted in the Japanese for both irradiated jand non irradiated
populations, or vhether it is merely a statistical fluctuation thed
.
Lymphocyte Count,
More work {fs necessary on this point.
:
fo.
oe :
wes
in this type of study.
is to be expected