MEDICAL SURVEY OF RONGELAP PEOPLE
SEVEN YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT
Introduction
Theresults of a medical survey of the people of
Rongelap in the Marshall Islands, carried out in
March 1961 at 7 years after the accident, are presented in this report. These people had been accidentally exposed to fallout radiation following a
detonation of a high yield thermonuclear device
during experiments at Bikini in the Pacific Proving
Grounds in March 1954. An unpredicted shift in
winds caused a deposition of significant amounts
of fallout on four inhabited Marshall Islands to
the east of Bikini (see Figure 1) and also on 23
Japanese fishermen aboard their fishing vessel,
the Lucky Dragon. Ofthe inhabitants ofthe istand of
Rongelap, 105 nautical miles away from the detonation, 64 received the largest fallout exposure:
an estimated dose of 175 r of whole-body gamma
radiation, contaminationof the skin sufficient to
result in beta burns,-andslight internal absorption
of radioactive materials through inhalation and
ingestion. Another 18 Rongelap people away on
a nearby island (Ailingnae), where less fallout
occurred,received only an external gammadose of
about 69 r. There were 28 American servicemen
on the island of Rongerik further to the east who
received about the same amountofradiation as
did the Rongelap people on Ailingnae. Lastly, 157
Marshallese on Utirik Island, about 200 miles
further east, received about an estimated 14r of
whole-body radiation. The fallout was notvisible
on this island and noskin effects developed.
The exposed people were evacuated from these
islands by plane and ship about two daysafter the
accident and taken to Kwajalein Naval Base
temporaryvillage was constructed for the Rongelap
people on Majuro Atoll several hundred miles to
the south, where they lived for the following 3%
years and were examined at yearly intervals by a
special medical team. In July 1957, after careful
evaluation of the radioactive contamination situation, Rongelap Island was considered safe for
habitation. A new village was constructed, and
the Rongelap people were moved there by Navy
ship. The annual medical surveys have since been
carried out on Rongelap Island.
A group of more than 100 Rongelap people,
who wererelatives of the exposed people but had
been awayfrom theisland at the time ofthe accident, moved back with the Rongelap people to
their home island and have served as an ideal
comparison population for the studies. Following
the initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwajalein in 1954, a repeat survey was carried out in
March 1957. In addition, during the past survey,
as in the previous surveys, a visit was made to
Majuro Atoll to examine a group of children who
represent part of the control group used for the
growth and development studies of the exposed
children.
2
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PRONGERIK” -
~ AILINGINAE'S”"RONGELAP
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about 150 miles to the south, where they received
8
extensive examinationsfor the following three
months. In view of the generally negative findings
on the American servicemen, they werelater re-
2
were also allowed to return to their homeisland,
0
turned to their duty stations. The Utirik people
whereradioactive contamination was slight enough
to allow safe habitation. Because Rongelap Atoll
was consideredto be too highly contaminated, a
Figure 1.
°
MAJUROSS
Map of fallout area
(March 1, 1954), Marshall Islands.
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