BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY 4077 ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INc. UPTON,L.1.. N.Y. TEL. YAPHANK 83 REFER. 44-6262 January 16, 1959 Dr. Charles L. Dunham, Director Division of Biology and Medicine Atomic Energy Commission Washington 25, D. C. Dear Chucks In view of the fact that the health of the Marshallese is such alsensitive subject, we would like to obtain approval for carrying out §everal procedures on the next survey which involve the use of small tra amounts of radioactive materials. Careful consideration of suchIstudies using trace materials is necessary since a policy decision forbiddi their use at all in these people would seriously curtail future that may be quite important both from the point of view of the h of the people and for scientific reasons. Therefore, perhaps ea study should be carefully considered, weighing the merit of the against the dose of radiation involved, The following procedures are contemplated for the next survey and liminary work on them is being carried out using the steel room a These studies would be carried out only in volunteers who may per be given some compensation. 1. In view of the finding of unexplained high protein bound iodi levels in both exposed and unexposed Rongelap people, we have vised an J151 thyroid uptake study which will involve oral admini tion of only 1 uc of the isotope given orally with water and, by the highly sensitive gamma spectroscopy in the steel room, it is ble to get a measure of the thyroid uptake in 24 hours even with administration of such a small amowmt of 1151, ‘his, as you knowg is only a small fraction of the usual tracer dose used and only a few mr of radiation would be received by the individual. We would like do this study in about 20 volunteers. It would be ideal to do it [in 10 exposed and 10 wnexposed people, but we would settle for 20 unek= posed people. 2e A disturbing finding also in the Rongelap people as a whole is|the anemic tendency. If we can determine the cause of their low htmato~- crits, we might be able to help to correct it. We are, therefore, ning on doing a complete erythrocytic investigation. As part of t§i investigation, it would be necessary to know the red cell mass. Tq this we would like to use the Crs! technique using tagged red cell do which would amount to about 10 uc of crit injected, a very small fqac- tion of the M.P.C. This study would be done on 10 unexposed peopl MOG wl Aa