SUMMARY OF MEDICAL SURVEY OF RONGELAP PEOPIE OOS FIVE AND SIX YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT Anmual medical surveys of the Marshallese Islanders were carried out in March 1959 and March 1960, 5 and 6 years after their accidental exposure to the_fallout from the weapon exploded at Bikini March 1, 1954. During the 1959 survey 76 exposed persons, including their children, and 166 unexposed Rongelap people, who served as a comparison population, were examined. In addition, groups of children at Utirik, Majuro, and Kwajalein Atolls were examined as controls for the growth and development studies on the exposed Rongelap children. only the exposed people being examined. The 1960survey was brief, As a result of their exposure in 1954, many of the Rongelap people had experienced early symptoms related to the gastrointestinal tract and beta burns of the skin along with spotty epilation. Later they showed depression of their peripheral blood elements commensurate with the calculated doses of gemma radiation (175r to 64 people and 69r to 18 people). In addition, radiochemical analyses of urine samples indicated that they had acquired fractional body burdens of certain radionuclides. Despite these evidences of exposure, acute radiation sickness did not develop in the people and there were no deaths then (or subsequently) | that could be assigned to their radiation exposure. No specific therapy was given. Recovery of the peripheral blood elements, particularly the lymphocytes and platelets, proceeded gradually over the ensuing years. The beta burns, which appeared about two weeks after exposure, were, for the most part, superficial in nature and healed in several weeks; only a few lesions persisted and these were not disabling in amy way. The hair regrew normally, beginning about three months after exposure. The internally absorbed radionuclides caused no known acute effects and were rapidly excreted so that barely detectable activity was found a year or two later, excepting the Sr70 general population and mm°. and csl37 isotopes present im the The 5- and 6-year post-exposure surveys were aimed primarily at evaluating the general medical status of the people in comparison with the unexposed control population, particularly as to slowly developing radiation effects. . Medical histories of the people during 1958 to 1960 were essentially uneventful; no special disease occurred and there were no significant differences in mortality rates. Four deaths have occurred in the exposed people since exposure giving a mortality rate of 3.1 per 1000 population, compared with 8.3 per 1000 for the control population and 6.8 for the Marshall Islands as a whole. The birth rate in the exposed group over the past six years indicates no noticeable change in fertility. The 2 births represent a rate of 48 per 1000 population, compared with 62 per 1000 for the control population and 37.3 for the Marshall Islands (1957). US DOE ARCHIVES a 396 U.S. ATOMIC ENERGY BEST COPY AVAILABLE COMMISSION——___ | Sollection 2@nbekg EC. | BOX @? “oider Bem 2- Division Biology — Awo_Medicive |