b+
use of crab meat as a food item should continue to
be avoided. Otherfoods, however, are responsible
for the '**Cs levels found.
Summary
Medical survevs were carried out on the exposed
people of Rongelap Island in March 1965 and
March 1966. [n 1965 the comparison population
was also examined, and in 1966 the exposed popula-
women duringthe past 2 years, but 3 miscarriages
occurred in unexposed women. No abnormalbabies
were born in the exposed group, but two (hydrocephalic and mongoloid) were born to two unexposed 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 deathrates tn this group appearedto be
similar to those in the Rongelap group.
tion of Utirik Island was examined.
PHYSICAL FINDINGS
INTERVAL MEDICAL HISTORY
During the past 2 vears the Rongelap people
have been generally in good health with satisfactory
nutritional status. No unusual epidemics of disease
occurred. Over the 2-year period 2 deaths had
occurred in the Ailingnae group (originallyexposed to 69 rads). No autopsy was obtained, but
children, previously noted, have continued. No
leukemia or cancer (except one thyroid cancer)
the deaths occurredin 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 related to the larger
percentageof older people originally in the exposed group. Birth rate has been about equal in
was detected.
riages or stillbirths were noted in the exposed
excretion ofiodine, thyroid uptakeof radioiodine,
and serum cholesterol levels were reviewed.
Thyroid abnormalities during the past 3 years
the exposed and unexposed groups. No miscar-
v
E
T
TT
T
c
nee ene aper en
- SE5ARA7 ON AND
2 - tt LNT
loz
aa
FL
T
* caTE OF COLLECTION
i
TS
7
‘
r
T
3
=
90S, NN S4ELETIN LOPPECTES TC
roe
Doles
TT
a
to Wy SEE
pCi/g DRY
As noted in previous surveys, the variety and
distribution of physical abnormalities (with the
exception of thyroid pathology) did not appearto
be significantly different in the exposed people as
compared with the unexposed population. The
trends toward growth retardation in the exposed
4
+
|
oa
-
1
Ss 'N MUSCLE CORRECTED "O
DATE CF COLLECT ON
t
“Ts.
4
4
b
if
1
io E
C
=
>
I:
'
J
COCONUT CRAB
(BIRGUS
LATRO)
.
KABELLE ISLET
RONGELAP ATOLL
\
L
!
1954 1955 1956 1957
!
Bn. i M_SCLE
CORPELTES vs MARCH, 954
L
1958 1959 1960
COLLECTION
a
.
!96!
L
i
1962
4
]
L
4
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.)
THYROID FINDINGS
The dosimetric calculation for radiation dose to
the thyroid from internal absorption of radioactive
todines from the fallout was reviewed. Early thyroid
studies including protein-boundiodine determinations, iodoprotein levels, dietary iodine and urinary
have increased to 18 cases, 16 with nodules and 2
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
children of the Ailingnae, Utirik, or unexposed
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 11 cases: 9 children and 1 adult were
found to have adenomatousgoiters, and | adult
a mixed papillary andfollicular carcinomaofthe
thyroid gland with localized metastasis. The gross
and microscopic appearance ofthese lesions was
described and depicted. Correlation of growth retardation in exposed children with thyroid pathology was indicated bythe recent finding of definite