36
Table 22
Mfean RBC, Hemoglobin, MICH, and Reticulocyte Levels bv Age and Sex, 1959
Rongelap exposed
RBC (x10),
e
.
Hgb., ge
Males age 3-15
Females
4.452200 3*- TO;
471-04
ax
4.45
3.15
i.)
(+)
4+.31=0.36.9:
619s
4.21204 531;
12.3 =05 (10)
Rongelap control
4.6 70.5129)
4.8 +0.3 (44)
4.4 20.4°53;
12.2
(2)
(3.1
Li (22)
12.5 =0.95:31)
13.4
it)
14.8
21.8 (44)
13.2
0.87 195
12.9
2.1 (52)
Nlales age 5-15
28.0 23.3
+10)
>15
>35
30.8 22.5
29.8 223.3
(19)
(31)
27.7
(2)
Females
Retic., %,
>5
Males age 5-15
Femaies
MCH, pug,
15
Ailingnae exposed
> 13
>3
Males age 5-15
Females
>15
“>5
14.4 21.3
f19;
30.0
(41
30.5 =1.9 (9)
28.5 21.9 (22)
30.7 3.4 (44)
29.4 2.7 (52)
0.13
(9)
0.05
(2)
0.29
f17)
9.21
(233
0.17
(7)
0.41
(+8)
0.31
(13)
0.3
(4)
0.43
(42)
*Standard deviation.
**The numbers in parenthese are the numbersof people in the groups.
ulocyte counts, were sufficient indices for evaluation of erythropoetic function.
Erythrocytes and Hemoglobins.
The mean
levels of erythrocytes and hemoglobins (Table 22)
were generally somewhat below those accepted as
average for Americans and were only slightly
lower in the exposed Rongelap population than in
the unexposed group. Scattergrams(Figures 42
and 43) of the individual red cell counts plotted
by age for exposed people of both sexes show more
of the counts below the average level of the unex-
the left, which indicates a slight tendency toward
microcytosis.
Serum Iron. Serum iron levels were < 100 pe/
100 ml serum in only 3 persons, all unexposed. _
Serum Protein.
Serum protein levels in 1959
were again higher than normal in many cases.
The range in the exposed group was 6.6 t0 8.4¢
with a mean of 7.45, and in the unexposed group
from 6.6 to 9.0 g with a mean of7.55.
Comments.
The peripheral levels of blood elements have shown considerable fluctuation from
year to year. The explanation is not known. One
age cumulative distribution of counts (Figure 44)
shows the curve for the exposed group distinctly
might speculate that, since upper respiratory and
gastrointestinal infections are common, the temporal relationship of the hematological examinations
to periods of bacterial infection mightstrongly influence the general level of certain elements, par-
Ailingnae Blood Counts. Counts in the Ailingnae people (a group of 15 who had received an
enced. As pointed out, the influenza epidemic in
posed group than aboveit, and a plot of percent-
displaced to theleft.
estimated 69 r from fallout) are summarized in
Tables 24 and 22 and in Appendix 2, and theindividual counts are shown in Appendices 3 and 4.
These counts generally averaged slightly higher
than in the exposed Rongelap people but lower
than in the unexposed people.
Price-Jones Curves. Price-Jones curvesfor de-
termination of red cell size distribution on 17
-Rongelap people (exposed and unexposed) were
averaged and compared with an averaged curve
for 53 Americans of the same age group (Figure
45). The Marshallese curveis displaced slightly to
LtB8598b
+,
that the erythrocyte counts done on the Coulter
electronic counter, and the hemoglobin andretic-
se
The explanation is not clear. However, it wasfelt
ticularly the leukocytes. It is not known whether
the drop in 1960 leukocyte levels was so influ-
early 1960 apparently spared Rongelap Atoll.
Since hematological examinations were not done
on the unexposed group in 1960, it was not pos-
sible to evaluate exposed levels with relation to
radiation effects.
The only blood elements at 3 years post expo-
sure that showed slightly lower levels in the exposed group were the platelets and erythrocytes.
Erythrocyte counts had not been done before
1959. Re-examination of earlier hematocrit levels
by construction of scattergrams and cumulative
distribution curves showed a slight tendency for
q