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A BRIEF SUMMARY OF MEDICAL FINDINGS
_US DOE ARCHIVES
IN By MARE TORIC I.
f
Sao Y
EXPOSED TO RADIOACTIVE FALLODPT
Collection DBM -£P Files
Robert A, voneeehM
ox_@060 Sob 7723
ACS Leds
Folder Yea-7 (Enuswetok) J
This report is a brief summary of medicalfindingsover a_span of
“
4
iy
twenty years in the Marshallese people who were accidentally exposed to
the redioactive failout in 1954.
In addition, a few comments ere includ-
ed on the radiological monitoring of personnel at Bikini.
The people on Rongelap Island received the highest exposure.
estimated gamma dose was 175 rads.
The
This dose fortunately did not cause
any acute deaths but did cause significant depression of blood elements.
No severe infections nor any bleeding tendencies were observed while this
_ depression lasted.
Contamination of the body with fallout resulted in
development of so called "beta" burns of the skin with spotty loss of
hair beginning several weeks after exposure.
Blood cell function had re-
gained nearly normal levels by one year, and "beta" burns healed in several
weeks with only minimal scarring and with regrowth of hair.
were less extensive in the 28 U.S. servicemen
present in the Utirik people,
These efiects
on Rongerik and were not
Though radiochemical urine analysis showed
significant absorption of radionuclides, particularly radioiodines, no
acute effects of this internal exposure were discernible and we mistakenly
thought that there would be no late effects.
Follow-up examinations during. the first decade, showed few findings
that could be correlated with radiation exposure.
The exposed people were
generally as healthy and with apout the same incidence oi diseases es the
unexposed population.
radiation exposure.
No deaths occurred which could be related to
Possibly relared to radiation exposure, wes an increése
to about double the number of miscerriages and stillbirths in the exposes
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