of pigmentation, depigmentation and repigmentation. About 90% of the people had these burns but most of them were superficial in nature aad healed rapidly. About 15% of the people had deeper skin lesions whiecd, have iteft some degree of scarring and pigment aberrations. Temporary Spotty epilation of the head was noted in most people. Though a fee benign moles have appeared in areas of severe burns, no evicence of any malignant lesions of the skin has been apparent. Internal abso’ Tien of radioactive material occurred .a the Rongelap people as a result of their living in a contaminated environment for the 2 days before their evacuation. They absorbed Fission products in the food and water that they consumed. Radiochemical urine analyses revealed the presence of various radioisotopes, chicf of which were strontium and iodine (See Table II). The dose to che thyroid gland from radioiodines is discussed in a later section. Except for the thyroié gland the dose to the bone and other organs appeared to have been miszimal with no acute effects noted. By 6 months the urinary excretions indicated greatly reduced body burdens. When the people were returned to Rongelap in 1957 a slight residual radioactive contamination of the island resulted in the accumulation of detectable but low body burdens of 137¢5, 6573 and Sr. No effects from these isotopes have been observed. LATER FINDINGS Several later findings, prior to the development of thrroid abnormalities, have been noted, some of which may have been relatad to their radiation exposure. During the 15 years since the accident tue exposed people nave remained generally in good health (except for thyroid related abnormalities) with no greater incidence of illness or degenerative diseases than that seen in tiie unexposed populations examined. Though the death rate has been somewhat higher ia the exposed people there has been no definite correlation of cause of ceath with radiation exposure. A somewhat greater percentage of older people is the exposed group partly accounts for this discrepancy. Quantification of a number of recognized aging parameters in order to arrive at “biological age score" have failed to reveal any evidence for prematzcre aging in the exposed as compared with the unexposed people of the sexe age. No leukemia has been seen. The occurrence of 3 cases of cancer in the exposed group (1 of the thyroid giend and 2 of the femaie genitai tract) presents a higher incidence in the exposed group, but due to the small numbers of people involved, final decision on this point must await the results of future observations. Based on birth rates, fertility has been about the same in the exposed as compared with the unexposed population. However abourc twice the number of miscarriages and stillbirths occurred in the exposed wonen during the first 4 years after exposure. Fetal abnormalities did not SoG 1b 78