. arncnannroaners memes re eS -41, Inhalation. The ratio of volume of air respired by a 3- to 4-year- old girl to that of an adult can be estimated in two ways: (a) from the maximum rate of oxygen intake! and (b) from the vital capacity respiration rate. ! Both methods give a ratio of about 0.3. and maximum The thyroid ‘ burden of these children would then be about 3.4 wCi with a range of 1.7 to 6.8 uCi. Assuming the Rongelap children are similar to those of New York children, the mass of the thyroid of the children is 2.5 + 0.6 grams. 9 The most probable dose from yi31 is then 150 rad and the dose from all isotopes if 510 rad. If we consider the range of thyroid burden (1.7 to 6.8 wCi) and the variation in thyroid weight (1.9 to 3.1 grams), the dose isin the range of 200 to 1350 rad. 2. Oral Ingestion. . . At the time of the event, the Rongelap people were on a water ration of 1 pint per day. They were warned not to drink water after the event, but most of them admitted they drank water anyway.?? The method of collecting water by runoff from the roofs into cisterns makes it very likely that this was the main source of oral ingestion. There are re. ports that it "rained a little’ on the afternoon of March 1 (D-Day). village doctor reported that the ''water turned yellow." concerned, the most likely source is dried fish. racks. The As far as food is Fish were dried on open However, inthe interviews none of them listed dried fish as having been eaten during the time before evacuation. !9 Under these circumstances it is reasonable to assume that children drank the same amount of water and, therefore, had the same intake as adults; i.e., their thyroid burdens ac were also 11.2 uCi of p3} (range 5.6 to 22.4 uCi). The most probable dose from yi31 is then 490 rad and the total dose 1270 rad. Considering a range in the thyroid burden (5.6 to 22.4 uCi) anda thyroid weight range of 1.9 to 3.1 grams, the range of total dose is 520 to 3300 rad. Incidentally, LASL assumed this mode of intake and calculated a dose of 150 rad.” grams. estimate. The thyroid weight used was not given, but was probably 20 We would calculate 160 rad, in very good agreement with the LASL st Sa Su (1! Mi