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FEMALES
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ttt
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MALES
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20
POSITIVE
L
90
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45
530
55
80
65
70
75 80
385
3O 95 OO 105
TIME IN MINUTES
Figure 48. Percent distribution of glucose-6-phosphate
dehydrogenase deficiency in males and females (percent
of persons versus decolonzauion time).
relatively high BAIB values, which suggest that
there may be an Asian focusfor the high BAIB
excretor gene.
Glucose-6-phosphate Dehydrogenase Determination. One male ( #11) decolorized at 102 min
and was classified as positive; three females ( #18,
22, and 851) decolorized at 80, 85, and 93 min, re-
spectively, and were classified as intermediates. The
distributions are shown in Figure 48.
The glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenasedeficiency appears to exist in the Rongelap population, althoughin fairly low frequency. The number of tests done was too small for any fina! conclusions to be drawn, andit is important that these
results be conhrmed on subsequent visits, particularly with tests done in the field in order to
eliminate the possibility of sample deterioration
during transport.
Radionuclide Body Burden
Evaluation
INTRODUCTION
In considering the evaluation of the radionuclide
body burden of the Rongelap people, the following facts should be kept in mind. During the two
days that the people remained on theisland after
the failout occurred in 1954 (prior to their evacuanon), they lived in a radivacttvely contaminated
environment and madelittle or no effort to avoid
inhaling the radioactive material or ingestingit in
their food and water. The resulting internal radioactive contamination was reflected by significant
leveis of activity in their urine detected by radiochemical analysis. Following their evacuation, the
people lived for 3 years on the uncontaminated
islands of Kwajalein and Majuro. The people of
Utrik were returned several months after the accident to their homeisland, since the level of con-
tamination there was very low.
The initial body burdens of internal emitters
were estimated from data obtained by radiochemical analysis of the tissues of pigs which had been
simultaneously exposed, and also from a comparison of human and animal! urinalysis data.“* The
mean body burden at one day was estimated(in
uC) as Sr®*, 1.6; Ba‘, 2.7; ['"', 6.4, and the rare
earth group together, 1.2. The contribution of this
amount of internal contamination is small compared to the 175 r external gamma dose received.
In the first few months following this acute exposure, Sr** and I'*' (plus the shorter-lived iodine
isotopes) contributed the greatest internat radiation dose. Sr** contributed the major portion of
the beta dose to the skeleton at this early ume.
The highest dose to an individual tissue (100 to
150 rep) was delivered to the thyroid by I'*' and
the shorter-lived isotopes, ['*?, I'**, and F'"3.
In the spring of 1957, 3 years after the accident,
four Rongelap people, two Utirik people and one
unexposed Marshall Islander were taken to
Argonne National Laboratory, and gammaspectrographic analyses were carried out in a wholebody counter. Distinct photopeaks indicating the .
presence of significant levels of Cs**? and Zn**
were detected in the spectra of exposed Rongelap
people and the unexposed subject." This experience demonstrated the feasibility of using in vive
whole-body counting techniquesfor estimating
body burdensin these people. In the following
year, 1958, a “portable” steel room and a whole-
body gamma spectrometer were constructed at
Brookhaven National Laboratory which could be
transported to the Marshall Islands for use in further studies.
In July 1957, after careful radiological surveys
which showedtheisland of Rongetap to be safe
for habitation, the people were returned and
settled in acompletely new village which had
been constructed for them. Low levels of contamination persisted on the island, which have since