73

INTERNAL DEPOSITION OF RADIONUCLIDES

Table 5.5.—Radiochemical Analysis of Urine From the Rongelap People (45 days post detonation)
|

Beta Activity—p/m/24 Hocr

sem | we RauRate
“Oremgars|
|
|
|

SAMPLE NO.

|

Loe eee eee eee eee ee ee eee eee eee ee |
Qo eee cee eee eee

Boone eee eee eee ee eee |
Qo eel eee ence eee |
Boonen een eee eee eee eee
6.222 e one ee eee eee |
Average........------------- eee nee |

Percent of total Beta activity... ..-.-- |

on the radioactive content of various tissues.
Details of the animal study are presented in a
subsequent section.
The estimate of the mean body burden of the
Rongelap group at 82 days post detonation is
presentedin Table 5.6. The body burden at one
day wus calculated in the following manner.
A. formula was obtained from urinary excretion
data reported by Cowan, Farabee and Love (6)
in a case of necidental inhalation of Sr”. The
excretion curve was best represented by four
exponential terms. (Very similar results were
obtuined by approximating the biological deeay
of strontium with a power function, based on
human excretion of the metabolically similar
element, radium) (6, 7, 8).
Estimates were made of other radioelements

\

1370
1260

|

490
510

|
|

1020
1210
1460
1200

| 480
| 626
328
727

1253

|

#5268;

|

t

100

|
|
|
|

42

|

°

1200
130

|

120
150
10
170

(197
244

|
|

324
284
474
353

|

134

312

10,7

25. 5

present in signifieant amounts at one day, as
shown in Table 5.6. These estimates were made
on the basis of the level of Sr? at one day, towether with the data on the activity of the various fission products at this same time (9) and
animal isotope absorption and retention data

(1, 5).

The LASELhas also estimated the body burden at one day, on the basis of radiochemical
analysis of pooled urine sanmiples from a representative number of the Rongelap and Amerteau groups (10). These calculations were based

on the analysis of L'' in the early samples of
urine (15 days post detonation) as well as the
above mentioned physical and biological data
on fission products (1.5,9). Their tiadings ave

presented in Table 5.6.

Table 5.6.—Mean Body Burden of the Rongelap Group
ACTIVITY

AT

#2 Days

Rabtorsororg

ue

(USNRDL)

Sr®_ oe

le

Bal? = de

Rare earth group. _.._.-- 13 (in thyroid). .22-22 2 ee
RulB ee

Ca.) ee.
Fissite material... 2...
281712 O—56—6

,

j
ACTIVITY AT

1 Day

ms

(USNRDL)

O19

16

0. O21
0. 03

27
1.2

0

6, 4

—

—

0

0

0

:

0

-

ACTIVITY

4 fray

4T

ue

(LASSE)

22
0. 34
,o7

,

1
1

1b2

0, O88
OW

0, O86 (agin)

Select target paragraph3