45 mother was diagnosed as having congenital heart disease and died several monthsafter birth. The suggestive evidence of increased miscarriages and stillbirths in the exposed women during the first few years after exposure might be related to irradiation of the germ plasm. The finding that male children of exposed parents were shorter in stature than children of the same age of unexposed parents may have somegenetic significance, but further studies would be necessary to substantiate such a conclusion. Hematological studies showed that certain peripheral blood elements in the more heavily ex- posed Rongelap group continuedto showslightly lower levels than in the unexposed comparison population, suggesting a persistent irradiation effect on hemopoietic function. Examination of the data by age and sex groups showed that neutrophil and platelet levels among the exposed were consistently below the unexposedlevels, andthat exposed males aged 7 to 15 years and exposed persons, both males and females, aged >40 showed the most difference from their controls. The exposed males and females of ages 15 to 40 showed less difference, with even higherlevels of someele- ments than the unexposed groups of the same ages. The platelet levels, however, were consistently lower in all age groups in both sexes. It was noted also that male children of exposed parents had somewhat lower levels of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and platelets than children of unexposed Parents. The Rongelap population as a whole continued to show slightly lower erythropoietic function than found generally in Americans, the explanation for which is not clear. Though iron deficiency does not appear to be a problem in view of generally normal serum iron levels, some other type of nutritional deficiency maybe responsible. The high incidence of eosinophilia may be partly related to chronic fungusinfection of the skin and intestinal parasitism, but other causes, not immediately obvious, may be involved. The levels of internal contamination per unit weight appearedto be about the same for juveniles as for adults, male and female. Wide variations in levels of contamination in any group werefound, apparently due to differences in diet and metabolism. The mean Cs'*" body burden in adult males was 14.7 mpC/kg, which is notsignificantly different from the meanvalue of similar group obtained 2 years ago; it was 300 times that of the medical team, who were measured at the same time for comparison. The Zn" level in adult males (1.51 mpC/kg) dropped to 17% of the mean value measured 2 years ago. With a larger detector and a longer counting time than previously employed, it was possible to identify and quantify Co"for the first time in these people; the meanlevel of Co” was about 11%of the Zn” level. A small amount of residual activity wasstill present after the subtraction of K"° and the aboveradionuclides from the total spectrum. The mean level of urinary excretion of Sr’” was 7.2 wuC/1 or 14% higher than measured in the 1959 medical survey. Thoughthe acute effects of radiation exposure in the Marshallese have largely subsided, it is possible that certain late or delayed effects may occur. Somelate effects have already been observed in the Japanese, such as an increased incidenceof leukemia and possibly other malignancies and also developmentof cataracts. Still other late effects have been observed in irradiated animals.It is unlikely that such abnormalities will develop in the relatively small Rongelap population and, should they develop, the incidence should be quite low. Nevertheless, it is extremely important that further surveys be conducted to detect subtle changes associated with the developmentof such abnormalities so that they can be documented and therapeutic proceduresinstituted whenever possible. The examinations show somefindings which persist in the exposed people, and these need to be carefully followed. These include incompleterecovery of certain blood elements to levels found in the unexposed people, retardation of growth The “portable” whole-body counter was used to obtain the gammaspectra of 110 Marshallese, half of whom had been exposed to the fallout in 1954. No significant difference in body burdensofthe gamma-emitting radioisotopes was observed be- and developmentin someofthe irradiated children, and pigmented changesatthesites of radiation burns of the skin. andthose of the comparison population living in the same environmentfor the past 4 years. medical surveys of the Marshallese people exposed to fallout in 1954 should continue indefinitely. tween the Marshallese exposed to fallout in 1954 Recognizing the importanceof these surveys, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission have agreed that annual SUGTSbb OETA RETR TRIER emee ere Ne ep Eo oma nr ene wae meme ee ew