Catt

FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS

1335

Miller obtained an effective half-time of 110 days for the elimination of
265, and for tbe two subjects from Utirik the urinary to fecal excretion ratio

vas 1/9.
Aseuming the excretion to be entirely exponential and 10 percent of the
body burden of zn®5 excreted in urine, the March 1958 urinary excretion levels

and daily intake as follows:

. wT oe

RONGELAP
LB

1954 Exposed Group

. Body Burden (March 1958):

> Equilibrated Body Burden:
: :

Daily Intake:

foe Percent Equilibration:

ig? ot

ste

.

‘S33,
, ‘.

ae

»

Control Group (Unexposed 1951)

260 mic (t+ 494}

S4O mmuc (* 903)

330 nuc

650 mc

2100 uuc/day +

4100 uuc/day #

85.0 percent

83.0 percent

.

|. The mean body burden estimated from 1958 excretion analysis for all Rongelap

Subjects showed a ten-fold increase over the 1957 whole body meagurements.

This

"> kdnerease correlates vith the return of these people to Rongelap atoll fran
Om

.

- | Majuro.

Also the 1958 Rongelep 2n©5 burdens are comparable with the Utirik

Ln Btbjects in 1957, and the Utirik subjects would have been in equilibrium in

, 1957 (half time of 110 days for the elimination of zine},

The estimated intake of zinc©% (2000 to 4000 uuc per day) can not be
accounted for by znactivity levels reported in foodstuffs. Although this
radio-nuclide reportedly accounts for a large fraction of the total activity in
fish, this amounts tc only about six uue per pound of muscle up to 75 uuc per
"pound of whole fish (2) or at most four percent of the estimated intake.

CONCLUSIONS.

Fst Ek, EM TNTana,

of 174 and 342 micromicrocuries indicate body burden, equilibrium body burden,

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