setae t asjee_a bila beh Miley 40 Appendix 6. The mean valuesare given in Table 17. Table 18 The meanurinary levels of !37Cs and 9°Srfor 1967- be little contamination on that island; hence, as expected, the people have very low body burdens of these isotopes. When the people return to Bikini further tests of body burdens, including whole-body gammaspectroscopy, will be done on them andalso on the Rongelap people. In preparation for the return of the people. Bikini is undergoing a numberof procedures intended to reduce the radiation contamination greatly. Amongthese are clearing away of scrub growth, planting of new coconut and pandanustrees after replacementofthe top soil in the area, removal of top soil aroundthevillage area and covering with clean coral, disposal of radioactive materials and debris from all the islands of the Atolls, and reducing the coconut crab population. Most of the food ‘for a long time will be brought from outside. Therefore, when the people return, the increase in body burdensis not expected to be anywhere near that measured in the Rongelap people on return to their island. The body burdens of radionuclides 9006291 137s, pCi/kg 1961 1140 1962 1964 1965 1969 Sr, pCi/g Ca 50,280 (39,292: 45,318; 66,234) 12,700 7,770 (8,540; 7,010) Rongelap ¢ : Ailingnae ¢ Uurik expe . 1227 (1317; 1086; 1113; 1378) Rongelap t Rongelap ¢ exposed - 751 (865; 628; 780) 724 700 (910; 500) Rongelap ¢ unexpose in the latter remained far below maximumpermissible levels (see below, under Summaryof Past Findings). Table 18 showsthe levels of 137Cs and 9°Sr in the, coconutcrabs over the years. The 157Cs levels have been dropping since 1960. The 9°Sr levels showed some reduction between 1961 and 1964 but very little after that. The disparity in reduction of the two isotopes may be caused by the molting crabs eating their shed shells, which contain high concentrations of %Sr. It is unfortunate that the high 9Sr levels necessitate a continued ban of this favorite food, but the crabsare a delicacy rather than a dieary staple since they are not present in great numbers. Rongelap ¢ Ailingnae ¢ Utink expe Rongelap t Rongelap ¢ exposed Rongelap unexpos *Numbe HEMATOLOGICAL FINDINGS Peripheral blood studies were carried out on both the exposed and unexposed Rongelap people in 1967 and 1969 and onthe exposed only in 1968. Blood studies were done on the Utirik population in 1969. Leukocyte and red cell counts were done electronically by Coulter counter.44 Platelet counts were done by phase microscopy*® in 1967 and by Coulter counter in 1969.4 Differential counts were performed on Wrightstained smears. Hematocrits were determined by the microcapillary method.*6 Sera or plasma samples werecollected each year for studies in U.S. laboratories. The hematological findings for the past 3 years are summarized in Tables 19 and 20 and in Fig- ures 38 to 42. Individual counts are tabulated in Appendix 7 and mean counts over the years in Appendix 8. Total leukocyte counts in the exposed Rongelap people still averaged slightly below those of the unexposed population during thelast 3 years, but lymphocyte counts since 1965 have averagedslightly higher than the unexposed mean ts justifiable to assumethat the body burdens have not increased but have been roughly constantfor the past 3 years. This indicates a state of equilibrium with minimal allowance for biological or physical decay. The drop in the urinary excretion levels of these isotopes suggests an interesting speculation concerning the influence of change in environmentalfactors. The lowered levels during the past 3 years might be dueto increased consumption of foods brought in from the outside with less dependence on home-grown items. The people received fallout compensation payments in 1966 and have had more moneyto buy imported foods. The 14 Bikini people living at Kili Island had urinary levels of 137Cs about the same as those of the Rongelap people living on the non-contaminated island of Ebeye and within the range of those of the Marshallese members of the medical team. The Srlevel of the Bikini group was well below that of the Ebeye people. Since Kili Island _ is far to the south of the Pacific atom bombproving ground at Eniwetok and Bikini, there would Year aR definite increase or decrease; therefore, it seems Radionuclides in Coconut Crabs Ce ud ee Ce Tae aea 1969 are definitely lower than for 1965. The 1965/ 1969 ratio for 137Cs (nCi/liter) was 6.3/3.2 and for 9°Sr (pCi/liter), 10.1/4.5. Data over the 3year period 1967-1969 show some variation in both 9°Sr and 137Cs levels for both groups but no Rongela~ 1959 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1967 1969 Ailingnae 1959 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1967 1969 Unik 1963 1969