rd
ae ‘onsoe,
a
~
- UNCLASSIFIED_ —
" BIOLOGY ‘AND MEDICINE
(3) Growth and development. In the exposed Rongelap children from about
4 through 9 years of age there was a slight lag in bone maturption
(based on X-ray studies of the left wrist), and these childrenfwere
slightly shorter and weighed slightly less than unexposed children of the same age.
_
4)
In utero effects, pregnancy, fertility. ‘Pregnancies in the ex osed
were observed in the babies irradiated in ulero.
48) Psychic effects..
Little or no effect on the psyche related
diation ‘exposure or displacement has been observed in1 the
people.
their ra-
.
) @E
|_ (noted in most of the Marshallese.
b. Beta lesions There remained in the exposed Rongelapese 15 residual
which showed varying degrees of mild atrophy, scarring, and
da lesions,.
gment
“
aberration. No chronic radiation dermatitis was noted.
An increase in incidence of certain conjunctival and corne
abnormal-__
as ahhada
ities was noted in the exposed groups.
ic. Internal radiation
There were no acute or subacute effects from internal de osition of
_ falloutt isotopes. because the body burden of radionuclides was Jow.
te
«
2. Late effects
a. Penetrating radiation
(1) Premature aging, shortening of life span. One death (at
the time of
this survey) or 1.5 percent incidence in the exposed Rong@lap people
compares favorably with 5 deaths of 3.0 percent mortality in the ‘
Utirik people. In general, the exposed people did not appe@mr older or |
to have aged faster than the unexposed Marshallese.
@)
Degenerative diseases.
-
No increase in degenerative dis HSeS: was
noted in the irradiated people as compared with the unex
tions.
(3)
line phosphatase activity of neutrophiles:or increase in asophiles _—
'. indicative of early leukemia.
38
~ UNGLASSIFIED
Of ARCHIVES-
See