64
use of crab meatasa food item should continue to
be avoided. Otherfoods, however, are responsible
for the '**Cs levels found.
Summary
Medical surveys were carried out on the exposed
people of Rongelap Island in March 1965 and
March 1966. In 1965 the comparison population
was also examined, and in 1966 the exposed population of Utirik Island was examined.
the deaths occurred in older people with no obvious
connection with radiation exposure. One death
occurred in an older woman of the comparison
population. The death rate has been higherin the
exposed population than in the unexposed population, which may in part be relatéd to the larger
percentage of older people originally in the exposed group. Birth rate has been about equal in
the exposed and unexposed groups. No miscarriages or stillbirths were noied in the exposed
is
T
qT
T
cc
r™“.
Rome MIT A,
‘
Fg HAPATION ANS *
a
aera
pCif7g DRY
r
a
.
.
t
-
T
q
r
e
s
.
AN os ON MUSCLE CORRECTED TO
DATE SF COLLECTION
10
F
COCONUT CRAB
(BIRGUS LATRO)
KABELLE ISLET
RONGELAP ATOLL
[oo
Pa
1
1954 1955 19$6 1957
“
al
1
Wry syne g
.
Bette igure aga
.
1°
j
4
4
ie.
+
1958 1959 1960
COLLECTION
—-
1961
\
1962
1.
The dosimetric calculation for radiation dose to
the thyroid from internal absorption of radioactive
iodines from the fallout was reviewed. Early thyroid
studies including protein-bound iodine determinations, iodoprotein levels, dietary iodine and urinary
excretion of iodine, thyroid uptake ofradioiodine,
and serum cholesterol levels were reviewed.
children of the Ailingnae, Utirik, or unexposed
‘
1
THYROID FINDINGS
haveincreased to 18 cases, 16 with nodules and 2
.
I
exception of thyroid pathology) did not appear to
be significantly different in the exposed people as
compared with the unexposed population. The
trends toward growth retardation in the exposed
children, previously noted, have continued. No
leukemia or cancer(except one thyroid cancer)
wasdetected.
with hypothyroidism. It is noteworthy that in the
higher exposure group thyroid abnormalities
occurred in 79% of the children exposed at < 10
years of age, as compared with no cases in the
DATE OF COLLECT" ION
3
:
*
“x‘
©
PHYSICAL FINDINGS
Thyroid abnormalities during the past 3 years
T
*9Gr N SHELETON COAPECTED TC
cers
MENS
POCLES
peTyr
Gee
é
.
L
o>
TO
similar to those in the Rongelap group.
distribution of physical abnormalities (with the
During the past 2 years tl.c Rongelap people
have been generally in good health with satisfactory
nutritional staius. No unusualepidemics ofdisease
occurred. Overthe 2-year period 2 deaths had
occurred in the Ailingnae group (originally exposed tc 69 rads). No autopsy was obtained, but
1
posed women.
The people of Utirik Island appeared to have
been in good health and reported few serious
medical happenings over the past 3 years. The
birth and death rates in this group appearedto be
Asnoted in previous surveys, tne variety and
INTERVAL MEDICAL HISTORY
“t
women duringthe past 2 years, but 5 miscarriages
occurred in unexposed women. No abnormalbabies
were born in the exposed group, but two (hydrocephalic and mongoloid) were born to two unex-
1963 1964
DATE
Figure 71. Analyses for *"Sr, ''"Cs, and “"Co in coconut
crabs of northern Rongelap Atoll since 1954 (Courtesy
of E. Held, University of Washington.)
groups. Only one adult in the Ailingnae group developed a thyroid nodule. Several nodules were
noted in the thyroid glands of older Utirik and
unexposed adults of Rongelap. Surgery was performed in !1 cases: 9 children and 1 adult were
found to have adenomatousgoiters, and | adult
a mixed papillary and follicular carcinomaofthe
thyroid gland with localized metastasis. The gross
and microscopic appearanceof these lesions was
described and depicted. Correlation of growthretardation in exposed children with thyroid pathology was indicated by the recent findingof definite