These studies were of interest in evaluating the
homogeneity of the Rongelap people andlearning
something of their anthropological background.
Bleed grouping studies. Studies of the blood
groupings and genedistributions in the blood of
129 Marshallese were carried out by Dr. L.N.
Sussmanof the Beth Israel Hospital, New York
City. The following systems were studied: ABO,
MN, Rh-Hr, and Duffy, Kell, and Diego factors.
Haptoglobin studies. The method of Smithies
was used, in which electrophoresis is carried out
with a starch gel slab as supporting medium.*® This
analysis was made on 126 Marshallese blood samples by Dr. B.S. Blumberg of the NationalInstitutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
Hemoglobin types.
The determination of
hemoglobin types was made on 45 Marshallese
blood samples by the method of Smithies® (starch
gel zone electrophoresis). These studies were
carried out by Dr. R.L. Engle, Jr. and Dr. G.
Castillo of the Cornell University Medical Center,
New York, N.Y.
Plasma proteins. Plasma protein determinations were carried out on all sera by the proteinometer technique.
Thyroid metabolism. In view of the exposure
of the thyroid giands to radiation from the internally absorbed radionuclides, the metabolic
state of the thyroid gland wasof interest. These
studies were made by Dr. J.E. Rall at the National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. Protein-
boundiodine determinations were carried out on
36 people in the exposed group and 24 in the comparison population. Butanol-extractable iodine
content was measured in three people in each
group, and thyroxine-binding proteins were deter-
mined in 12 persons in the comparison population.’
Serum vitamin 8,, concentrations. In view of
the general tendency to anemia in the population,
serum vitamin B,, contents were measured to see
whether they could be related to anemia. These
determinations were carried out on thesera of44
exposed Marshallese and 58 unexposed by Dr.
D.W. Watkin of the National CancerInstitute,
National Institutes ofHealth, Bethesda, Maryland.
The method used was a modification of the USP
XV Lactobacillus leichmannii method developed
specifically for vitamin B,, assay in serum.’
Intestinal parasite survey. The generally high
eosinophil counts and tendency to low hematocrits
noted in both the exposed and unexposed Rongelap
people led to an intestinal parasite survey to see
| whether parasitism might be responsible for these
findings. Because of the generally accepted view
that blood pictures of anemia and eosinophilia are
more likely to be associated with helminthic rather
than with protozoan infections of the intestinal
tract, the methods used were directed primarily
to detecting the former. The Beaver method of
egg counting® and formalin-ether concentration’’
was used to obtain quantitative information on
helminth infections. This is a simple, direct technique whichis also useful in revealing protozoan
infections, particularly when trophozoites are
present. In addition,all stools were concentrated
by the formalin-ether method to pick up infections
too light to be detected by direct examination.
Onestool specimen per person was examined in
each of 69 exposed persons and 112 unexposed.
Specimens were broughtto the laboratory shortly
after being passed, and were generally examined
within | hr. The methods used probably revealed
4% to &% of the protozoan infections and perhaps
80% of the helminthinfections likely to be found
in these individuals had they been subjected to ©
repeated examinations.
Serum and feod sodium and potassium determinations. Because the Marshallese seem to
have generally lower blood pressures and in view
of the possibility that salt intake bears a causal:
relationship to essential hypertension in humans,''-'? correlations between salt intake and
incidence of hypertension were investigated by
Dr. L.K. Dahi of Brookhaven National Laboratory. A morning sample (before breakfast) of
urine was obtained on 13 exposed and 14 unexposed persons and analyzed for sodium and potassium level by flame spectrophotometry. A sample
prepared meal was also obtained for similar
analysis of the several items.
Determination of Body Burdensof Radionuclides
Radiochemical urine analyses.
Urine samples,
24-hr as well as cumulative, were collected from
15 Rongelap people for radiochemical analyses
carried out underthe direction of Maj. K. Woodward and Col. J. Hartgering at the Walter Reed
ArmyInstitute of Research, Washington, D.C.
Whole-body gamma-ray spectroscopy.
During
this survey about 200 people were examinedin
the whole-body counter (21-ton steel room constructed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and
carried out to the Islands) for body levels of
gamma emitting nuclides. Unfortunately, the