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4
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LARSEN ct al.
TAEA SM 224/007
ouly two subjects, both about one year ol age af exposuie, have beew lound to have prunary
hy polhytutdion
Phe wcccnt avadlabitity of suphisticaled tmiaaunoussay dechamgues bor
thytoame (14) aod thyrotropin (TSH) has allowed more thorough Gayton evaluation of the
eaposcd population who do not Nave knowa ihyroid abnodmalitics (43 Roigelap people)
103
superficial wad healed wethin several weeks wilh nodal regrowth of lai Shehet
scaling fenilaed mi sume cases but tho development of shin malignancy las
been voted a subsequent years
Another source of exposure ib ddl the istan
liitially, prophylecta Ty was dacantinued tur two months ina sample group of exposed
Eroups came (rom udcrnab absorption of rudignuchdes from mbadatan and,
subjects and VU U ot bovine TSH were given intranmuaculaly. Plasues 14 wos ascusuicd beluse
ligestiun vi conlanvnaled food aad water Radtodeaucal winalyses fun during
did 24 tours adder PSE
the tis few weeks showed the following estimated body burdests (ui) ol the
dhe mean increment in Ty was 2 4021.2 pg/di (racan £ SI) in the
caposed group, sigiulic antly less than the value of 4 2200.3 py/dbia conmbiols. ‘Thus suggested
a decieuae wn (hyduid teserve in capuscd subjects
Accordingly, prophylacte 14 tieatinent was
dincoutiiued Jos two tmunths, and basal plasma Sy and TSE, as well as the memeat in ‘ESI
altea Shysutiupin Releasing Husmene CT RID) was measured
Phe upper hit of the moral
plincipal padionuchdes i the Rongelop population af one day post exposure
mS bo
22) ba O $4
27, care cutth group Ob 2) "44 Gin thyroid gland)
04 112, Ru GOLA, PCO OOFS, and tissile aistemal O 0 O16 (uy)
Lusaf plasma PSH was 3 U/ml aod of the TREH-induced TSH response was 22 pUsaal an
No acule syanptoms were dotcd tron this iiterdab absor plow of rddignuchiues,
control Marshallese subjects, Four of 43 Rongelapese had abnormally bigh basal TSU and
and by six months urmalyses indicated they were vitally completely climinated
PROB induced (SH iclease on two such tests as opposed to only two of 214 contrals
Nevertheless, the cadly exposure lo radtotodines resullcd io seqious myury do the
‘Ty concentrations were low, of low normalin these uidividuals
tas
Phese resulis indicate the
presence of cutly thyroid dyslunction. Several other subjects have shown al least vac
abnomal finding Dut have wut had the sequued suuvbes of fests tu ince! the estabilisiied
CHigéia
fo dhied quasicds of these sulyects (he estimated Eyrond exposure dose was ~ 400 rads
Hypothyroid has been previously noted wfter therapeutic duses uf '9't for hyperthysuadiom,
but nut io individuals exposed Jo the relatively low levels of thyronlad radiation (< 400 rads}
collimated for these indaviduals,
(hyroid glands with date clfecds to be descnibed below. The thyroid dase was
estimaicd to be considerably ligter ie the childsen becuuse of the smaller stze
ul the thyruid glands. In the Rongelap peuple the thyroid dose tious Baim
radiavien and radtoiodies €pracipally 2b, 71, 4b and 8) was estunated to
be about 335 cads ia tie adults whereas mn sinall childien the doses cunged up
to 700
1400cads
Phe thyroid doses mi the Aifingnac and Utiikh groups were
extrapolated trom the Rongelap estanates assuming the ralia ob whole badly
ganna and todine doses were the same as i the Rongelap people
Following the initial studies, anual examinations and, wore recently,
BACKGROUND
quarterly exumingtions of the exposed people, a wellus an unexposed coutial
This tepoil concerns late radiation elfeets on the Uhyroid ina population in
Whe Marshall Islands tnadvertently expused to fallboul. The accident occured on
1 March 1954, during the United States atumic testing programaie when an
unexpected shift ol wieds, following detonation of a thermonuclear device al
Bikint, caused radioactive Lallhoud do be deposited on several inhabited islands
fo the cast
Evacuation of exposed persons was accomplished by two days. The
hollowing were cslimaled whole body ganna duses im the Marshallese on three
alolis.
Rongelap (64 people), 175 rads, Ailingnae (18 people), 69 rads, and
Utuik (158 people), 14 cads
(Phere were also 28 American servicemen on the
island of Rongesth who received abuul the sane exposure as Ue Ailiagiae group.)
Acule cllects of gamuna exposure were noted io the Kongelap and Aulingnae
gioups, but notin the Ulirtk group “These consisted of eaily, dransient anorexia,
hatieca dead vomntinag ina number of peaple follawed by depression of white bioud
cells and platelets to about half nuemal levels Fortunately the hacmatoulogical
depression Was Nol great cnough to pesult in delectable cluwtcal signs of infechou
or bleeding
No specitic Uierapy was necessary and no dealtis occurred, and
bloud cells rebated ty uea normal levels by one year. Un addition, on the
Rongelup and Aibngnae groups, beginning about two weeks post expusure,
hadiation bars CbcGe butts) aid spotty epilation of the tead developed where
Fallot nioteidab dad bee deposited on the sha
hese burs weie hitgely
Marshallese population, have been carted out, and tesults of these exaniinalions
have been pubhisticd [1
4]
Inthe Host ten years alter Che accident lew tidings were noted that could
be related tu radiation exposure. An increase Wi dniscai pages and stulbittis
the exposed Rongeclap women was bought to be possibly related to exposure
During the second decade, however, serious late effects develuped related
pranasily to the thyroid gland
fn addition a Rongelap man who had been
exposed at one year of age, died of acute myelogenous leukacniia which was
likely iedated to padiation exposure [3]
Betore thyroid abourmalities became apparent, was aoted that about
five clhuktien exposed al fess than five yours of age showed some degree ol growth
Telasdation (4)
in dwo boys growth aetardation was murked and frank ay xocdema
developed. “Vhyrord hy poluoction iclated (ou thyroid mjury later became apparent
with imore sophisticated techniques tor deleomiiuig thyruxine levels. Tt was nul
detected caly ui the childien By PRE determinations because of masking of tue
ihyroatme levels by wuusuaidly hugh devels of dodoprutein, later tound do be
characteristic of the Marshallese peopte [5]
Nodules of the thytoid gland begun to appear Rongelap children and to
4 tesser exiend in adulls beginning about wine years post caposue These nudules
lave comtinued to appear over the subsequent )5 years, aud vitually allot these