am
Cn March 1, 1954, human beings were accidentally exposed to radiation
from fallout.
Approximately five hours or longer after the detonation, the
fallout commenced,
Marshallese and Americans were involved.
The exposed
individuals consisted of four groups, depending on location:
Rongelap
68 Marshallese
Ailinginae
14
Rongerik
28 Americans
69"
159 Marshallese
14 "
Utirik
i
175 r.
78 1"
(Make a slide)
The task force did not have a bio-medical program, and as soon as possible,
a medical team and eqhipment was assembled between the Naval Medical Research
Institute and the U. S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, and transported
to the field commencing studies on the ninth post-exposure day.
Interim
care and study was provided by the Medical Department, U.S. Naval Station,
Kwajalein, to which all exposed people had been evacuated,
On Hongelap, and
to a lesser extent, on Ailinginae, the fallout was visible and was described
as a light snowfall.
coral, coated with FP.
The material consisted of flakes of CaQ, incinerated
The material clung to skin, clothes, vegetation and
buildings, thus producing a large planar source of gamma radiation and mil-
tiple small sources of @ radiation when in contact with the skin.
minate amounts of the material were inhaled and ingested.
MIndeter-
The overall
result was the production of relatively uniform whole body irradiation,
spotty 6 irradiation of the skin of varying degree, and the internal
deposition of some radionuclides.
I shall describe the exposure conditions,
the general symptomatology and management, and others will amplify on the
problems of hematologic changes, cutaneous lesions and internal deposition.