-_ am. - ( “OS 4 -18- —_ —~S . ~. By three days the lymphocytes dropred to 50% of the controls. The percent drop in the children less than 5 years of age was greater than that of the people greater than 5 years, The lymphocyte count renained at approximately the sane level through the exposure period. At 6 months, twelve months, two years and three years the level though increasing had not quite reached that of the control population. Platelets The maximun depression in plotelets was obtained approximately 28 to 30 days after exposure in contrast to laboratory animals that attain their minimm values between the 10th amd 15th days after exposure. In this case the children under 10 years of age had a greater percentage drop then those who were older. The platelets began to recover after the 30th day attained a maximum about the 45th day. There was then a seconcary drop with a leveling off for the remainder of the post exposure period and at 6 months, 12 months, two years and three years slow recovery was still | under way. The levels of the population were approaching the controls but have not yet reached it. In all of the hematologic studies mentioned above it is stated that the present levels are not equal to that of the controlled population, However I wish to emphasize that the current levels of the blood cells of all types is more than adequate to take csre of the infections and the various troubles of everrday existence, This statistical expression of a inadequate recovery probebly represents the residual radiation injury that is of considerable interest to study but does not appeer to be overtly harmful to the individuals, One can be reasonably confident in this because they are not faring less well in resistance to disease than are the Marshallese who were nonexposed and living in the same area, INTERNAL ABSORPTION CF RADIONUC] IDES During the two days before evacuation, the Rongelap people lived under conditions of extrese contanination without any concerted efforts to protect themselves against the cangers of internal contamination, These individuels drank contaminsated water, and ate their natural foodstuffe which were conterinated externally, Their hands DOE ARCHIVES ifs