awe
oa
pen
pote eiee
Aa
Acuivity
atabay |
Actin ity
alday HZ
mers
vee
la te 27
Oo
oul
Ruste caarth geese
VUNT Cpa tbivesoud et
Oo
it
-
Oud
OU
Oo
- Utada
Ho
Ob Gat
uu
weg”
1)
V4
Virwsiber papatace tad
Le
Its
uo. utd
During the carly period after the fallout, radio-
iodine was recognized as possibly ots must hazardgus constituent, but the estimated dase to the
gland of [OG ta 150 rads was nat considered sulficient to cause later development of thyroid abhotialities, No acute effects were nated in any of
the people that could be related Lo the internal
absorption af radiiadines ur other cadiaisutapes,
Contamiuiation of the akin resulting im extensive
-
Gal aiivecs af urine saniptes, begining 1 dvs
mesteapeeure, for hr, i BA dhe rane carih
wieeup. canal fissile quaterial, As espected, the
Kenuedape people had the lighest bods tarcdetus,
Wy Gomonths, beta achoaty da the urine vatipeles
was barely detectable. Table SJ sbows the again
ieerterpars Fouatnab at chaos 1 (eatrapolateal satues) anal
wichay B22. Phe agreement latween the tivcinys at
Hie two laboratories is clase considering the tech-
Diques available al that Gene. Levels an the ling:
hac geaaip were about ane hall aoc in the Aimer:
ins about one-quarter the levels inthe Rongelip
yroup. Oly isatepes af iodine, strontiuni, bari,
wil a few rare carth clements were absorbed to
any significant degree. lathe Kongelap group, at
dhav Ur and MO wore near the shasimuain per.
Thisssble levels, aackthe esauiied total anseunt of
Padioacive aialerial ia the wastrointestiaal tract
wkd
Vatinated Todds Hareen (ai) of Rongelap People?
fan te ke
food and water (see Appendix °C). Otherinternally
absorbed isotopes (see Table 3} were not thought
to be significantlyabsorbed by the thyroid and
probably contributed lithe 10 the dose to that
gland, Conversely, the radiaiodines contributed
only slightly to the whole-body radiation dase,
‘Pable
44 SOBee Agta
Sy
y
lata burs ib the neck region a cG0° of the people
(ace Figure 2) probably did not contribute to the
thre) dene because of the low cavegy of the beta
rachation. Possibly alight absarpiuon of radio
jodines theough the shan occurred,
When the people returned to Rongelap to live
121497, no radioactive isotopes of iodine remained
(eacept possibly very slight amount of 790), and
Vie principal remaining wotopes (3'Cs, !'Sr),
which were absorbed tu low levels in the people,
probably did net contribute tw any signifieaat
degree tothe thyroid dose.4
Wher thy roid lesions began develauping in the
Rongelap children da fig, the dose to the thyroid
of the Kongelap people was reevaluated by
James28 His estimates of the gaming dow agreed
Approatmatcly with the previous estimate of 175
Voabet boaCi; whether this had any celition to
the canqastratitestinal ss pions ie ot known?
Rivdiolowical monitoring af personnel and environ
tov at Reagelap and other atolls ia sulsequcne
years is dim uased an Secnon Vb
5. Thyroid Dosimetry
Whe fallout produced several possible squrces of
tadhation caposuie tothe thyroid gland, The gaan
uHopes ace produced in relatively bigh vickls by
the fission process, Soame aire to short-lived te be
af consequence, bat Pn CED Peg aad Map age
sullciontly dong-beved to cause a considerable che
tothe thyroid following internal absorption and
concentration i dhatwhasd, and these were abe
sarbedt oth via tobiatatin aock ei bigestiags iy
ome
*
Vigure 2. Heta bugis (Afaech 2b 10).
Nw ee or er NE ate ee i
ee ee ee
mi Cadiation resadted bn tharoicl doses of £77) raabs
Hothe Ranyebip people, olf iads io the Aviacsa
peoples anal Pb rads nthe Grartk eens. bode
mae
4f