Q.
How many Marshallese have hed surgery to date?
Six Rongelap people with thyreiéd nodules have been treated surgically
te date.
Five vere childrex in whee the nodules preved te be benigh;
one adult woman had a thyroid malignancy which was removed leat year.
She is doing well.
§.
What is being done for the additional five Marshall Islanders in whoa
nodules were discovered this year?
Arrangements have been mede to bring the five te the Medical Department
at Brookhaven Rational Laboratory for further exaszinetion end treetaent.
?.
When were these people exposed to radiation and how many were in the
group?
A total of 82 Rongelap people (64 en Rongelap Atell, and 18 vwisitiag
on nearby Ailinginas Atoll) and 157 en Utirik who were accidentally
exposed to fallout radietion from a nuclear device tested en March 1,
1954.
a
besi
.
LuUid
AVAILABLE
Were there people on the sane, or an edjacent, atell who vere less
exposed?
Yes.
What were their radiation dose estinates?
The 18 Rongelapese who were vieiting on Aflinginee Atoll vere
lightly exposed.
They received an estinated whole body dose ef
69 BR, and a proportionately amalier thyroid dose.
About 40 children
on Utirik who were mildly exposed to falleut radiation (14 B) have
shown no thyroid gland abnorasilities.
These children on peOETRRCHIVE
fin the same age range as these in the heavily exposed Rongelap population.
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