THYROID LESIONS IN MARSHALLESE EXPOSED TO FALLOUT
(AS OF SEPT. 1972)
Marshall Island group
(radiation dose-gamma)
Rongelap (175 rads
gamma exposure)
Rongelap (on Ailingnae
Island-69 rade gamma
exposure)
Utirik’ (14 rads gamma
exposure)
Rongelap unexposed
Likiep unexposed
Age at
exposure
Thyroid
surgery
Malignant
lesions
percent
500-1400
89.5 (17/19)
15
5.3 (1/19)
> 20
all
335
16.5 (3/26)
39.6 (21/53)
2
17
7.7 (2/26)
5.7 (3/53)
335-500
“
< 10
200-500
all
-
> 10
< 10
> 10
all
< 10
> 10
all
< 10
> 10
131, 132, 133, 135 I
2 nased on number living.
Thyroid
lesions
percent
< 10
11-20
all
lnose from
Estimated
thyroid
dose -rads
1323
40-80
224
12.5 (1/8)
0
16.6 (1/6)
0
14.3 (2/14)
1
12.5 (1/8)
1
-
-
-
-
0.0 (0/55)
0
-
5.8 (4/69)
3.2 (4/124)
-
0.0 (0/61)
0
-
0
-
0
-
~
-
-
3.8 (5/133)
2.6 (5/194)
0.0 (0/31)
4.7 (5/106)
3.6 (5/137)
1
l
1
1
0
-
1.4 (1/69)
0.8 (1/124)
-
-
plus gamma dose
In parentheses number of cases/total number in group.
Sone child 10-17 years of age at exposure received estimated thyroid doses between
132 and 200 rads.
4p ifteen children 10-17 years of age at exposure in this group received estimated
thyroid doses between 22 and 40 rads.
>the more energetic shorter-lived isotopes of iodine contributed less to the total
One might surmise therefore
thyroid dose in the Utirik people due to later fallout.
that the blelogleal effeetivenesa of the Lhyreid deaa per rad would be leaa in that
group.
ern addition to thyroid lesions, one case of acute myelogenous leukemia was discovered
in a 19-year-old Rongelap boy who had received 175 rad gamma radiation at 1 year of age.
235
IOT4BYS