turn of the peopt@té Rongelap. The bodylevels of
the unexposedpeople who returned to the isiand
also increased, becoming tndistinguishabie trom
those of the originally exposed group. However.
the levels remain well below the maximum permiussible limits. Analyses of bone sampies on one of
theymen who died showed 3.7 strontium-9) units g
calcium.
complete or lost in most instances, and vital statistics are therefore inadequate. Trust Territory
officials are nowattempting to assemble such data.
3. There is uncertainty on the part of some ot
the Marshallese as to their exact ages, particulariv
among the older group. This imposes certain dithculties In interpreting some ofthe studies to be
outlined,
*
incidence of eosinophilia. Other findings that need
further explanation are the generai anemic tendencies, the high plasma protein levels with increased gamma globulin, and the higher than
normal levels of serum protein-bound iodine and
vitamin B,,. Another investigation is concerned
with genetic studies and determination of the
anthropological background of the Marshallese
from genetically determined traits. Among the
traits studied were blood groups and hemoglobin
and haptoglobin tvpes. The results shed some light
on the origin of these people and the homogeniety
of the population. Their blood groups resemble
most closely those of the people from Southeast
Asia and Indonesia, and the population appears
to be relatively homogeneous.
DIFFICULTIES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE EXAMINATIONS
As mentioned in previous reports, several difficulties were associated with carrying out the examinations as well as interpreting the findings.
1. The language barrier made examinations
dificult, since very little English is spoken by the
Marshallese. However, there were sufficient Eng-
iish-speaking Marshallese to assist the medical
team in most instances.
°
2. The lack of vital statistics or demographic
data on the Marshallese imposed a serious diffculty in interpretation and evaluation of the medical data. Records of births, deaths, etc., have been
made by the health aides or magistrates ofthe villages and supposedly forwarded to the district administrator; however, such records have been in-
1t185994
During the Arst 2 vears, two separate groups of
Marshallese people were used for comparison,
each of comparable size to the exposed Rongelap
group and matchedfor age and sex. However. this
population was found to be unstable, with a large
attrition rate over the 2 years, which made it unsatisfactory. At the ume of the 3-vear survey, it
was found that during the preceding 12 months
the Rongelap population at Majuro Atoll had
doubled because of the influx of relatives who had
come back from other islands to live with them.
These people had been awav from Rorfgelap
Atoll at the time of the accidental exposure, This
.
group matched reasonablywell for age and sex
and was of comparable size. Since the return of
the people to Rongelap, however, this group has
about doubled in size.
Since the people are of the samestock geneti-
cally, they are uniquely appropriate to serve as a
comparison population and have, therefore, been
used since 1957.
1959 Survey
BACKGROUND MATERIAL
Organization
For the 1959 survey, 5 years after the accident,
the medical team consisted of seven physicians,
one dentist, two scientific specialists, and nine
technicians from various institutions and laboratories in the United States. Several Marshallese
practitioners and interpreters assisted in carrving
out the examinations.
A group of five scientists from the University of
Washington, headed by Dr. E.E. Held, accompanied the group to collect soil, marine, and plant
samples for radiochemical analysis. These studies
are not included in this report.
Prior to the main survey on Rongelap. several
members of the team visited Majuro to examine
Te asd
Other studies have been carried out on the
Rongelap people which are not directly related to
radiation effects. An intensive intestinal parasite
survey showed that the people were infected with
manytypes of protozoa and helminths. This finding did not entirely account tor the generally high.
COMPARISON POPULATIONS
Aa my.
OTHER STUDIES
F
3.