ft
INTERNAL DEPOSITION OF RADIONUCLIDES
appearance of possible long term effects of
Specimens were obtained from che lung, liver.
G. I. tract and the skeleton. The samples were
radiation.
A special study was carried out to determine
the effect of the radiation on the fertility of
chickens and the hatchability of their eggs.
The animals collected from Rongelap and
Utirik included 41 chickens, 9 baby chicks, 11
swine, 4 ducks and 1 cat. These were shipped
alive to the USNRDL. Three fish and one
large clam were taken from the Rongelap lagoon. Collection dates and mortality data for
these animals are presented in Table 5.7. In
ashed at 550° C. in a muffle oven, and the ash
made up to volume with 2 N HC] An aliquot
was then dried for beta measurement. The beta
activity was determined by means of a thin
end-window Geiger-Muller counter. Srwas
used as the basis for the mass absorption correction for the samples, as it was the major
radioelement deposited. The correction calculated is an approximation, as mass absorption is u function of the average energy of the
sample. Heta activity was measured in total
addition, a boar, a cat and two chickens were
‘utopsied in the field, and representative tissues
were collected.
5.41
77
d/m, and this value was converted to pe, “Sr
equivalent.”
The gammaactivity of the tissue samples was
measured in a well-type sodium iodide scintillation counter which has anefficiency of about
40 percent for » Costandard. The gamma
Methods
Tissue samples were taken from all animals
which died spontaneously or were sucrificed.
Table 5.7.—Mortality and External Radiation Dose of Animals From the
Living Areas of Rongelap and Utirik
‘
|
EXTERNAL |
(eo
CoLLEctioN)
ANIMALS
|
Seams B
280 r( Dav 8)
|
330 t( Day 28)
|
|
|
|
|
\
|
|
|
|
| Ree | Daap
i
Hens......-. {
6
{
tlw.
I
||
ee fo.
ee
| cee ae
Dues. .....,
aoe
|
+
Pigs. .....--|
|
i
Cate...
-
|
Chicks....-.!
|
OC
‘
rs
'
1
\
|
Day 45
(
\
Ht
|
|
|
|
|
7|
|
tls — [oo
!
!
|
'
|
|
7 a
\
_
| . |
|
|
|
|
|
a
gt
saeeee
4c.
38 Sow
| 57 6
82 #24
|
|
\
Jee
|
|
bo
ho
|
360 r(Day 51-51)
|
|
|
|
|
s]
Dey
67 #6 |
|
aj
'
;
1
1
}
fee
eeeeee
Bo.
|
|
*Animais (rom Utirik: all others from Rongelap (Group LV area animals rec'd 32 ¢ external dose).
**Pay Post Detonation,
ol
4
_
|
9
pot
|
|
5
|
|
|
fo
'
1
\
ie \
ri
|
ee
ceeee |
:
1
|
|
I
|
1
!
|
“|
|
3
ei!
|
i
whe i.
|
Day 46
!
|
|
91... |
1
si
'
92 435 ,
| ae
i | ceeees |...
oo.
—.
a
74 #89 1
| 99 #7 |
| cece
i
|
Toran
TOTAL
iDeapl Sac’
Rec'p /DEADI Sac
Raee | Dgap | Sac’
\
Day 4
|
|
'
l
2
Lf
Day 49
ae
po i
Sepizs D
|
ceeeee |
Day
2
| Day 43
veceee {
|
|
Sac’o
| Day 42
|
2|
|
t
Sears C
340 r(Dav 32)
| = cence
| Day 23) Day 23 |
|
1
Sac'd | Raat [Deno Sac’D Reco| Drab
1
|
Roosters...
7
'
Sunigs A
a
6,
wl
||
9