since the orginal contaminating event, additional weaponstests held in the area have contributed to the fission products in the environment. Since the diet includes a variety of imported foods, the people are not tiving in a “closed “environment. and therefore may not be rapidly approaching equilibrium with the environmental fission products, as might be expected under other circumstances. Body burdens of gamma-emitung fission prod- ucts (such as Cs'" and Zn"') were measured ina whole-body counter and checked by radiochemical analysis of urine specimens. The leveis of internal contamination per unit weight appeared to burden of 11.4 mpC. These leveis represent about a sixfold increase in Sr“ over the 1958 levels. Little of the body burden of the exposed group is apparentiv due to their initial exposure, since at present there is little difference between thelevels of the exposed and unexposed populations living on Rongelap Island. The body burdensare of small significance in terms of radiation hazard. OTHER STUDIES be about the same for juveniles as for adults, male Studies of genetically wnhertted characteristics. Blood grouping studies in the Marshallese showed a relatively high B gene frequency, a high N gene fre- nation in any group were found, apparently due toral absence cf Kell and Diego factors.'" These and female. Wide variations in levels of contamito differences in diet and metabolism. Body burdens of Sr" were estimated from urinary excretion as determined by radiochemical analyses. Both the external dose measurements on Rongelap Isiand and theleveis of radioactive 1s0topes in the food on the tsland indicated that some increase in Cs'", Zn"*, and Sr" body burdens was ta be expected when the peopie returned there in 1957. The Cs'' body burden in 1958 was about 0.68 pC: about 60 times as great as in 1957, and the urinary Cs'" level rose by a factor of 140; the mean body burden for 1959 was 0.57 pC. The mean body burden of Zn"” estmated from whole- body counting data was, in 1958, after the return to Rongelap, 0.36 pC. 8 times as high as in 1957, and 0.44 uC in 1959. In 1961 the mean Cs'" bodv burden in adult males was 14+ 7 muC,kg, which is not significantly different from che mean value of a similar group obtained in 1959; it was 300 times that of the medical team, who were measured at the same time for comparison. The Zn": level in adult males (1.51 muC, kg) dropped to 17% of the mean value measured in £959. With a larger detector and a jonger counting time than pres ously empioved, it was possible to identify and quantify Co*" for the hrst ume in these people: the mean level of Co”" was about 11% of the Zn"' level. A smal! amount of residual activity was still present after the subtraction of K‘" and the above radionuclides from the totai spectrum. The meanlevel of urinary excretion of Sr*" was 7.2 pC/} or 14% higher than measured in the '959 medical sur- vey. In 1962 the mean urinary Sr” level was | 14 pC. g Ca, giving an esumated bodyburden of 12.0° muC. Analvsis of bones from the deceased Rongelap woman (1962) gave an estimated bodv quencv, an extremely high R' gene frequency, and showed the incre to an increase int reason for this is infecuons mav Sodium fecels in about the same cans. The gener sion in the Ma fact that the fo lower in salt con ernized diet. Ic the incidence of Serum cholester what lower in t comparison or U characterisucs differ from those of Polynesians and low normal rang were noted. i Indonesians. Haptogiodin studies showed the fre- range with no al pean populations thus far tested and consistent with populations living near the equator. The distribution of haptoglobin types showed the popula- were generally sag levels. The posse ples with bactery considered. since cases were not se Serum protem be suggest relavionship with Southeast Asians and quency ot the Hp' gene to be higher than in Euro- tion to be relatively homogencous. Transserrins in all sera were tvpe GC, the common European type. B-Amino-:so-butyric acid urinarylevels showed the Marshallese to be the highest excreters of this acid of any populauon thus far reported. Levets in the exposed group were about the same as in the unexposed group, and no correlation was found with body burden level of radionuclides: this indi- cates that there 1s probably no correlation with radiation exposure. Hemoglobin types were considered normal (all had wpe AA}. Sickiing tests showed no sickling tendencyin anyof the people. Glucose-b- phosphate dehyarogenase of the red ceils appeared to be normal in the Marshallese Studies of Gm phenotrpes showed the Marshallese to have 100% Gm * and nearly 109% Gm. There was a complete absence of Gm‘ and a high trequencs of Gm-like (Gm) Considerable cautiun must be exercised in evaluating the results of these studies on geneucally inherited characteristics because of the small number of samples tested. The data do seen. to Indicate reiative homogeneityof the pop- ulation and closest kinship with people of Southeast Asia. These data also maybe useful as a buve line should genetic changes appear tn later ge n- erations, possibly related to radiation exposure. Results of other laboratorystudies included the following: Serum proten levels were generally on the high side of normal, electrophoretic patterns S-rum creatinines Serum ciiamin | were generailiv s§ roid dvsfuncuom Géwosuria andi peopie (] expose incidence of dus shallese peopie. A survey for 7377 of the pea types. ' For the over-all infecuce fytica, 1B XC, for trehrura, 34.3% Bosinophilia in about half: cases with cos) lections at all parasitic intec sinophilia mas other infections Cumptement ~ and 3, respirat ver showed ant cept that for nol Vel serious shall Islands ~ somewhat low