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UNCLASSIFIED _
oe ‘BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
complementary and thus produce the maximum amount of data, the British
Medical Research
Council planned to sponsor a conference at Harwell on April 26, 19 57. Three AECgeneticists
were selected to attend the conference.
mo
| REPATRIATIONOF THE RONGELAPESE |
The Commission has.determined that the degree of contamination on Ro§gelap Atoll has
PADRDO hahaa tee
declined to an acceptable level for thereturnof the Rongelapese to their hore island as soon
as rehabilitation procedures have been completed. The Rongelapese,the las] of the Marshall
Islanders to be returned to their home island, were evacuated from the atolllafter the fallout
of radioactive fission Products from the March 1, 1954, detonation in the En®wetok Proving
Ground.’ ~
f
.
;
Medical Examinations .
complete medical examinations. The most recent examination was made in
liminary reports on this examinationindicated no illnesses or other clinical conditions which
could be related to radiation effects, and the People appeared te
to be recoveritg satisfactorily
from radiation.exposure. oo
ee
:
~. Bloodcounts. Although statistical analyses ofblood examinationshad rt been completed,
it appeared that
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the blood cell counts were about equal to.those in the unexpdsed4 people
examined, |
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Skin burns from beta radiation showed continued improvement; and thea were new
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cations that pigment was returning in burn areas. There was no evidence| of any malignancy
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witier
-in any of the scars resulting from radiation burns.
Deaths. The only deaths among the Rongelap people since the 1956.surfey were one .
still-birthand the death of an infant a few hours after birth as a result of iffection. These
deaths were not believed to be related to radiation effects. Utirik. About 130 people who had been exposed to slight amounts ‘of fallout on the island
of Utirik were also examined. They were found generally to be in good heath, with no illnesses or clinical conditions which could be related to radiation effects. Ridiation could not
be establishedas a factor in the six deaths which had occurred onUtirik
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dijring the threeyear period. This death rate was not considered to he. unusual.
ExternalGamma Dose Rates
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decay indicated that dose rates at the time of repatriation will be less|
arg
per week. it was
vy
also estimated thatthe gamma dose on Rongelap will be 4
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3
7
30 milliroentgens .
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