Eh
+1
an estimated body burden of 6.9 mzpC as compared to 6.0 mupC estimated in 1959.
Widevariation was found in the individual ““24hour” urine samples collected and analyzed individually (Table 18). The average Sr’? excreted
was 159 puC Sr*"/g Ca for the children as com-
pared to 30.9 for the mean adult population.
Adult women appeared to have higher Sr°°/Ca
ratios than men. However, in termsof urinary
Sr?? (ppC/1), the value was 2.3 for women com-
pared to 4.5 for men. This difference was similar
to that observed in 1959. With the small sample
size and the wide spread tn values in anysingle
group, it is not possible to detect any significant
difference between the exposed and unexposed
Rongelap groups.
Two coconut crabs were brought back from the
survey and analyzed for Sr’". One from Rongelap
Island had a level of 1140 (+12) puC Sr’’/g Ca,
and one from the more heavily exposed island of
Eniaetok, 8 miles north, had a level of 3900 (+23)
upC Sr"°/g Ca. These values were about half those
found in these crabs in the early years after the
fallout.
One 3-month fetus, the product of a miscarriage
in a Rongelap woman, was also analyzed and
showed a level of 25 (20) ppC Sr°°/g Ca. How-
ever, the sample was so small that the results are
of little significance.*
Figure 38 shows the levels of radionuclides in
Table 18
UrinarySr®*’ Values in Marshallese, 1961
Subject
Sr”,
No.
DISCUSSION
It is interesting that no significant differences
were observed in the body burdensof the four
gamma-emitting radioisotopes measured in the
1961 whole-body spectrographic study between
the groups of Marshallese exposed to fallout in
the 1954 accident and unexposed groups who have
been living in the same environmentfor thelast 4
years. The origina] contamination of these gamma
emitters in the exposed population has already
been eliminated, and what is observed in this
studyis the radioactivity derived from theslightly
contaminated environment.
*We wish to thank Mr. E.P. Hardy. Jr., Health and Safety
Laboratory, New York Operations Office, AEC, for carrying out
of
(a,
these Sr*’ analyses.
4
~ 1
re
'
Z
+h
Age
{
Z
.
he
EINE SI me gg em
iw cee oe
Sr’,
g/I
pC /g Ca
Rongelap Exposed
Males, Age 1-15 (No Females)
23
32.3
20
0.6
19
6.8
47
3.5
36
5.6
0.150
0.028
0.054
0,012
0.044
216
23
127
302
127
9.8
0.058
159
11.6
4.0
0.440
0.149
26.4
26.8
4.5
0.253
22.5
1.8
0.028
64.3
4.7
0.063
74.6
0.059
43.8
Av
Males, Age >15
+0
27
4
7
40
+1
5.8
1.4
0.3
3.7
Av
Females, Age >>15
45
a9
0.193
0.208
0.429
0.098
2.0
66
12
Av
30.1
6.7
7,0
37.8
0.101
0.7
19.8
0.043
2.3
the Rongelap people at various times after expo-
sure, based on radiochemical urine analyses and
_ spectrographic determinations.
Ca,
pyc,‘
16.3
Rongelap Unexposed
Males, Age 1-15 (No Females)
822
2.6
Males, Age >> 15 (No Females)
944
1.1
838
3.8
838
3.1
Av
2.7
0.030
86.7
0.182
0.210
0.215
6.0
18.1
14.7
0.202
12.9
Analyses of Pooled Specimen (20.8 1)
Sample
sr’, ppc/1
Ca, mg/l
Sr“, upeC/g Ca
|
7.2
145
49.3
2
3
4
6.4
6.8
7.2
149
142
141
43.2
47.6
50.7
6
8.3
139
59.7
5
7,0
Av
7.20.4
131
141 +4
53.3
50.6+3.9