35
suming and difficult. In 1957, several Rongelap
people were brought to Argonne National Laboratory, where it was demonstrated that their body
tain gamma spectra on 227 people. Details of the
shown to be the prominent isotopes in the MarShallese at that time. ~
and data-recording apparatus. The gamma-ray
exposure and findings of these medical studies
have been reported.''
During the 1961 survey the portable shield was
used in conjunction with an improved detection
burdens of gamma emitters could be measured in
the whole-body counter. Cs'* and Zn" were
spectra of 110 people were obtained. Half the
people measured had been exposed to the fallout
The Rongelap people, originally evacuated to
in 1954; the other haif were unexposed.
another island in 1954, were returned to their
home island in July 1957. Since the island and the
indigenous food sourcesstill had a lowlevel of persisting radionuclides, continued evaluation of the
METHOD
body burdensin these people was of considerable
interest.
A portable whole-body counter was designed
Shielding was provided by a 21-ton room with
walls constructed of laminated '4-in.-thick steel
panels bolted together, which can be disassembled.
The inside dimensionsof the room are 55 ft and
and constructed at Brookhaven National Laboratory and transported to the Marshall Islands,
6 ft high. Figure 52 showsthe steel room (as set up
whereit has since been employed during the annual medical surveys to ascertain the level ofinternallv-deposited gamma-emitting isotopes. In
1958, 100 Marshallese people were counted, and
the procedure was repeated oneyear later to ob-
for the 1959 survey). In 1961 the room wasset up
in the cargo hold of the Rogue (Figure 6). Along
with the steel room, an air-conditioned prefabricated wooden room 7x8 X LO ft was set up to
house the pulse-height analyzer and other elec-
Table 13
Frequencies (in Percent) of Gm Factors in Various Populations
Gm Factor
Population
United States
White
Negro
Athabascan Indians( Alaska)
Artic Village
Fort Yukon
Total
Eskimos (Alaska)
Wainwright
Africa
Yoruba
Fulani
Bashi
Pygmies
Micronesia
Rongelap Atoll
Surinam
No.
b
x
303
50.8
91.8
17.5
58
51
100.0
100.0
0
3.9
41.4
31.4
100.0 Av
1.8 Av
364
109
98.1
97.5
3.0
36.7 Av
6.0
like
0
27.7
0
0
Oo
50
100.0
20.0
35
35
37
120
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
94.6 .
100.0
0
0
0
0
100.0
94.3
35.1
100.0
149
100.0
97.3
0
43.6
0
Djuka Negroes
35
100.0
100.0
0)
62.9
Javanese
20
100.0
100.0
86.7
13.0
26.7
50.0
Carib Indians
19
100.0
79.0
32.6
0
iS
100.0
0
apeee ene oe ee 8.
Ovyana Indians
Ay
ec