TABLE 5
RANK ORDER SELECTED CAUSES OF DEATH (0-4) years) 1974-1976
Prematurity
23 or 22.3%
Congenital defect & birth related injuries
20 or 19.4%
Gastroenteritis & amebiasis
18 or 17.5%
Pneumonia
Qor
8.7%
Malnutrition
5 or
4.8%
TOTAL
75 or 72.8%
(Source: TTPI Five Year Comprehensive Health Plan, April 1, 1980)
B.
Radiation
Having
reviewed
the
20-year
report
on
the
exposed]
Marshallese
published by Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1975 and the
ublished and
unpublished data acquired since 1975 (soon to be published
s a 26-year
report), the following conclusions are summarized:
1.
The people of Enewetak (measured in the spring of 1980)
less
radiation
exposure
than
that
allowed
for
large]
Have received
populations
according to the standard published in International
ission on
Radiation Protection, 77 publication 26.
The people of Bikini
who returned to their home islahd
(1969-78)
received an annual mean radiation dose equivalent of IBss than 500
millirems per year (the maximum permissible exposure alldqwed for nonoccupational persons).
The people of Rongelap and Utirik have significantly incr@ased thyroid
pathology,
undoubtedly
radiation
related,
and
magifested
by
hypothyroidism and an increase in both benign and maliqnant thyroid
tumors.
There is the possibility of other radiation related disBbases in the
Rongelap population (e.g. leukemia).
Although significant acute skin pathology occurred on t
islands of
Rongelap and Utirik, no serious delayed skin pathology has been noted
to date.
There are increased eye problems and diabetes which do notfappear to be
radiation related.
qt