Table |
Summary of Marshallese Populations ExaminedSince 1954
Group
No.in group
Series
CoMPARISON POPULATIONS
1954 April
1956
Majuro
Rita
115 (adults and children)
57
oon
"
1958
Rongelap
170
1957
1964
Rongelap
100
Rongelap
"
on
"
170 (age >10 only)
"
700-817
1000-1082
801-900
801-970
801-1058
ExPosED POPULATIONS
Rongelap (175 r)
Ailingnae (70 r)
American servicemen
Utirik (14 r)
67 (includes 3 in uéero; annual exams)
19 (includes 1 i utero; annual exams)
28 (examined 1954 only)
157 (examined every 3 to 4 years)
1-86
t-86
401-428
2101-2257
UNEXPOSED CHILDREN (<_ 10 YEARS AS OF 1964)
Rongelap & Ailingnae
45 (exposed parents)
Utirik
20 (exposed parents)
Rongelap
73 (unexposed parents)
87-136
801-1058
2258-2278
as in the previous surveys, a visit was made to
Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls for examination of a
number of Rongelap people, nowresiding at these
atolls, and also groups of children whorepresent
part of the control group used for the growth and’
developmentstudies of the exposed children.
Table 1 lists the various populations that have
been examinedsince 1954.
Duringthe first 24 to 48 hr after exposure, about
*% of the Rongelap people experienced anorexia
and nausea. A few vomited and had diarrhea. In
appendix 10 the individual histories of nausea
and vomiting are tabulated. Many also experienced itching and burningofthe skin, and a few
complained of lachrymation and burningofthe
eyes. Following this, the people remained asymp-
becomingincreasingly voluminous. Since conditions have not been favorable for performanceof
when cutaneouslesions andloss of hair developed,
due largely to beta irradiation of the skin. It was
apparent whenthe people were first examined, a
few days after exposure, that the lymphocytes
were considerably depressed and thatsignificant
doses of radiation had probably been received. In
addition to the whole-body dose of radiation and
The accumulation of data from these surveysis
extensive statistical analyses or use of electronic
computing proceduresto store and manipulate the
data, the annual survey reports published bythis
Laboratory are made as complete as possible. This
report, therefore, includes a considerable amount
of raw data, much of it in appendices, so that
others may have an opportunity to makefurther
calculationsif desired.
Summary of Past Findings
Reports have been published on the findings of
surveys madeat the following times after exposure: initial examination,’ 6 months,’ I year,’ 2
years,’ 3 years,’ 4 years,® 5 and 6 years,’ 7 years®
and 8 years.® The following is a brief summary of
the findings previously reported.
5600185
tomatic until about 2 weeks after the accident,
the beta irradiation of the skin, radiochemical an-
alyses of the urine showed that measurable
amountsof radioactive materia! had also been absorbed internally. The effects of the radiation can
best be summarized under three headings according to the mode of exposure: penetrating irradiation, skin irradiation, and internalirradiation.
PENETRATING RADIATION
Oneofthe earliest findings indicative of signifi-
cant exposure in these people was lowering of