+1
an estimated body- burden of 6.9 muC as com-
pared to 6.0 mpC estimated in 1959.
Widevariation was foundin the individual‘‘24hour” urine samples collected and analyzed individually (Table 18). The average Sr*° excreted
was 159 puC Sr®°°/e Cafor the children as compared to 30.9 for the mean adult population.
Adult women appearedto have higher Sr*°/Ca
ratios than men. However, in terms of urinary
Sr°° (uuC/1), the value was 2.3 for women com-
pared to 4.5 for men. This difference was similar
to that observed in 1959. With the small sample
size and the wide spread in values in any single
group,it is not possible to detect any significant
difference between the exposed and unexposed
Rongelap groups.
Two coconut crabs were brought back from the
survey and analyzed for Sr*’. One from Rongelap
Island had a level of 1140 (412) wuC Sr*’/g Ca,
and one from the more heavily exposedisland of
Eniaetok, 8 miles north, had a level of 3900 (23)
uuC Sr?" /g Ca. These values were about half those
found in these crabs in the early years after the
fallout. *
One 3-monthfetus, the product of a miscarriage
ina Rongelap woman, was also analyzed and
showeda level of 25 (£20) wuC Sr /g Ca. However, the sample was so small that the results are
of little significance. *
Figure 58 shows the levels of radionuclides in
the Rongelap people at various times after exposure, based on radiochemical urine analyses and
spectrographic determinations.
DISCUSSION
It is interesting that no significant differences
were observed in the body burdensof the four
gamma-emitting radioisotopes measured in the
1961 whole-body spectrographic study between
the groups of Marshallese exposed to fallout in
the 1954 accident and unexposed groups who have |
been living in the same environmentfor the last 4
years. The original contaminationof these gamma
emitters in the exposed population has already
Table 18
Urinary Sr*° Values in Marshallese, 1961
Subject
No.
Sr,
upC/]
Ca,
g/l]
Sr,
upC/g Ca
Rongelap Exposed
Males, Age 1-15 (No Females)
23
32.3
20
19
47
36
0.150
216
0.6
6.8
3.5
5.6
0.028
0.054
0.012
0.044
23
127
302
127
9.8
0.058
159
11.6
4.0
0.440
0.149
26.4
26.8
L.4
0.3
3.7
0.208
0.429
0.098
6.7
7.0
37.8
4.5
0.253
22.5
45
1.8
0.028
64.3
39
2.0
0.101
0.063
74.6
12
7
0.043
16.3
2.3
0.059
43.8
Av
Males, Age >15
40
27
4
5.8
7
40
41
Av
Females, Age >15
66
0.193
b.7
Av
30.1
19.8
Rongelap Unexposed
Males, Age 1-15 (No Females)
822
2.6
0.030
86.7
Males, Age >15 (No Females)
944
838
838
Ll
0.182
0.210
0.215
18.1
14.7
2.7
0.202
12.9
3.8
3.1
Av
6.0
Analyses of Pooled Specimen (20.8 1)
Sample
Sr*?, pC/1
Ca, mg/l
Sr°°, wpC/g Ca
been eliminated, and whatis observed in this
1
2
3
7.2
6.4
6.8
145
149
142
49.3
43,2
47.6
contaminated environment.
4
5
7.2
7.0
141
131
50.7
53.3
6
8.3
139
59.7
720.4
14144
50.623.9
study is the radioactivity derived from theslightly
*We wish to thank Mr. E.P. Hardy, Jr., Health and Safety
Laboratory, New York Operations Office, AEC,for carrving out
these Sr*’ analyses.
Av