39
relative immunoseems to indicate a reduction in
antibody relogical capacity or at least lowered
ency for the
serves in the exposed people. The tend
tively greater
depression of these moieties to be rela
to be
al re. .
it the
age.
anti1 age
mma
ies to
d the
Perconrease
sable
ve. If
‘grity
culo-
light
y, no
arate
rious
efore
3SO0CIthese
n the
It bendered to
+ satsAAin Rl
ng in
ther
gree
ied
aging effect. Since such studies were not carr
e
out earlier, it is not possible to say when thes
expost
s
year
3
at
r,
changes developed. Howeve
posure, when the people were challenged with
s
tetanus toxoid, primary and secondary response
t
the
in
eren
y
diff
antl
ific
sign
were found notto be
exposed and unexposed populations.® Also, in
spite ofslight depression of blood elements andreduced serum globulin levels, the exposed Marshallese people, on the basis of our observations over a
15-year period since the accident, have shown no
recognizable impairment of immunological capac- ity as evidenced by the incidenceof, or susceptibility to,illness or diseases.58 If theserum protein
changesare a recent development, then such impairment may yet become apparentif the people
are faced with a virulent antigenic challenge in
the future.
Thelack of any differences between the exposed
and unexposed people in transformation of lymphocytes in response to PHAstimulation is somewhat unexpected in view of the abovefindings.
However, the lymphocyte levels in the exposed
group have not been depressed as severely as some
ed to
.
duced
n-in
in the older groups may implya radiatio
on of cually
on of
~»yosed
festa-
order to obtain base-line data, 24-hr urine samples
were collected from 14 of the people at Kili in
1969 and brought back for radiochemicalanalyses.
ESTIMATION OF INTERNAL BODY BURDENS
OF RADIONUCLIDES IN MARSHALLESE
ses on the Rongelap and Bikini people for calcium,
90Sr, and 137Cs for 1967, 1968, and 1969are listed in
The last evaluation of body burdens of gamma
emitting isotopes in the Marshallese was done in
*Radiochemical analyses were done at the Environment
Studies Division, Health and Safety Laboratory, AEC, New
there may be nosignificant depression of lymphocytes capable of responding to PHAstimulation.
Individualresults of radiochemical urine analy-
1965 on 179 Rongelap people"! in a shadow-shield
York, by Mr. Edward P. Hardy.
Table 17
such
been
‘ssion
Summary of Marshall Island Radiochemical Urine Analyses, 1967-1969
1967
il ex-
1e semens
ding. -
Island, several hundred miles to the south. In
of the other blood elements, which indcates that
opol-
nulins
lesser
lains
whole-body counter with an 11%-in. Nal(TH) crystal. Radioisotope levels in the exposed and unexposed people were indistinguishable by this
method, both groups showing elevated total body
burdens of 10 to 20 nCi 137Cs and 1/1000 this
amountof 6°Co. Also in 1965 radiochemical urine
analyses were done on 24-hr samples from 23
people and on two pooled samples. The results
showed no increase in internal body burdens
since 1961; therefore, no whole-body counts were
considered necessary duringthe next 3 years (19661969). However, urine samples were collected for
radiochemical analyses* as follows: 24 in 1967, 22
in 1968, and 23 in 1969. The urines were analyzed
first for 157Cs by gammaspectroscopy by counting the wet ashed samples on top of an 8 x 4-in.
NalI(T)) crystal. Then the residues were dissolved
and analyzed radiochemically for 137Cs and ®°Sr,
Calcium was determined by the oxalate-permanganatetitration method.
Because oftheir high 9°Sr and 137Cs content,
coconut crabs on Rongelap Atoll have been banned
for use as food. Several crabs were brought back
for radiochemicalanalysis during the past 3 years.
Our group at BNL has been given the responsibility for monitoring the radioactive body burdens
of the Bikini people when theyreturn to live on
their homeisland.59 They are nowliving on Kili
Rongelap exposed
Rongelap unexposed
Kili
500b29b
1968
1969
90Sr,
137Cs,
90Sr,
137Cs,
9Sr,
137Cs,
pCi/liter
nCi/liter
pCi/liter
nCi/liter
pCi/liter
nCi/liter
2.5
3.0
4.8
4.8
27
5.6
2.8
2.8
4.9
4.1
0.48
3.4
2.9
0.34
7. OES
weese
With
nlza.
a the