Volume 66, No. 6
June 1967
LATE EFFECTS OF RADIOACTIVE
TABLE 1.
Group*
IODINE IN FALLOUT
[21 9
Summary of Fallout Effects
Composition
Fallout
Observed
Estimated
Gamma
Dose
Extent of Skin
Lesions
rads
Rongelap
Ailinginae
Rongerik
Utirik
64 Marshallese
Heavy (snow-like)
28 Americans
Moderate (mist-like)
18 Marshallese
157 Marshallese
Moderate (mist-like)
None
175
Extensive
69
Less extensive
14
No skin lesions or epilation
78
Slight
* Also exposed were 23 Japanese fishermen who received a sublethal dose.
received less fallout, with an estimated
whole-body dose of 69 rads, less extensive
irradiation of the skin, and less internal
absorption of radioactive materials. “Chere
were 28 American servicemen on Rongerik
Island, still further to the east, who received a moderate amount of fallout with
very slight skin burns. These men were
aware of the fallout dangers and took
proper precautions such as staying indoors
and taking showers to remove radioactive
material from their bodies. The last group,
the people of Utirik Island, 157 men,
women, and children, saw no fallout at all,
and there was a very minimal amount of
radiation received, an estimated 14 rads of
whole-body radiation. Table 1 lists the
populations exposed with estimated doses.
During the first 2-day period, before the
Rongelap people were evacuated, many of
them became anorexic and had nausea and
a few vomited. The majority also complained of itching and burning sensations
of the skin, usually on the exposed sur:
faces of skin that were not covered by
clothing.
‘They were evacuated by ship and planes
2 days after the accident to the Island of
Kwajalein, which at that time was a large
naval base to the south. We, as members
of a special naval medical team, arrived on
the scene about 8 days later and carried out
extensive examinations on these people for
the following 3 months. At the end of that
time the Utirik people, who showed no
serious effects from their exposure, were re-
turned to their home island, which was
considered safe for habitation. But since
the island of Rongelap was too radioactive
the people of this island, who had sustained
more serious exposure effects, had to be
moved to a temporary village some 150
miles to the south where they lived for 3
years. The Rongerik servicemen were returned to their duty stations after these
examinations.
Ficure §. Rongelap Village today. The old village
was completely rebuilt.
Peperwerepe
ther east it occurred. There were 64 men,
women, and children on Rongelap who received an estimated dose of 175 rads of
whole-body gamma radiation. They also
suffered extensive skin irradiation from fallout deposit on their bodies and some internal absorption of radioactive materials.
There were 18 other Rongelap people on
a fishing expedition at an adjacent atoll
(Ailinginae), 20 miles to the south, and they