the end of the first year the accumulated dose would probably not exceed 0.5 rem with lower doses in succeeding years." nation, (p. 21) As to internal contami- the report stated that if land crabs "(which selectively concentrate sr90) were eliminated from the diet" a value which "has been considered allowable by the U.S. National Academy of Sciences report." Despite these reassuring assumptions, the Committee takes no great pleasure in noting the results of subsequent tests and examinations which indicated that body burdens of radioactivity in the Rongelapese did increase and remain relatively stable over a period of years as a resuit of fresh fallout. The BNL five and six year report indicated that body burdens of cesium 137 had increased by 60 times during the first year after the Rongelapese had been returned, and that strontium 90 increased by some 20 times. Even as late as 1960 the cesium levels had risen from 14.1 muC, in 1959, to 14.7 muC and was ''300 time the mean of that of the medical team carrying out the study (0.048) (p. 42, seven year report). Undoubtedly a major factor in returning the Rongelapese before testing had ended was the desire of the people themselves to go home, plus the realization that the longer they stayed on Eijit the more their later life patterns would be changed. One of the Committee's consultants estimated roughly that the Rongelapese had received no more than a three percent increase in additional radiation from residual radioactivity and fallout from recent tests. He also estimated that such a small amount was not likely to be harmful. While the Committee is inclined to agree with this assumption -- and it is just that, an assumption -- it is also disinclined to agree for reasons previously mentioned but which are worth repeating at this point. that basically "all ionizing radiation . 104141709 0 . The Committee believes .is harmful," and thus any additional