“Set 2
“MEDICAL SURVEY OF RONGELAP PEOPLE
FIVE AND SIX YEARS AFTER EXPOSURE TO FALLOUT
Introduction
The results of medical surveys of the people of
Rongelap in the Marshall [slands, carried outin
March 1959 and in March 1960 at 5 and 6 vears
after the accident, are presented in this report.
These people had been accidentally exposed to
fallout radiation following a detonation of a high
yield thermonuclear device during experiments at
Bikintin the Pacific Proving Grounds in March
1954. An unpredicted shift in winds caused a
deposition of significant amounts offallout on four
inhabited Marshall Islands to the east of Bikini
(see Figure |) and also on,23 Japanese hshermen
aboard their Ashing vessel, the Lucky Dragon. Of
the inhabitants of the island of Rongelap, 105
nautica! miles away from the detonation, 64 received the largest fallout exposure: an estimated
dose of 175 r of whole-body gamma radiation,
contamination of the skin sufficient to result in
beta burns, and slight internal absorption of radio-
active materials through inhalation and ingestion.
Another 18 Rongelap people away on a nearby
island {Ailingnae), where less fallout occurred, re-
ceived only an external gamma dose of about 69 r.
There were 28 American servicemen on the island
of Rongerik further to the east who received about
the same amount of radiation as did the Rongelap
tion. Because Rongelap Atoll was considered to be
too highly contaminated, a temporaryvillage was
constructed for the Rongelap people on Majuro
Atoll several hundred miles to the south. where
they lived for the following 3'2 years and were examined at yearly intervals bv a special medical
team. In July 1957, after careful evaluation of the
radioactive contamination situation, Rongelap
Island was considered safe tor habitation. A new
village was constructed, and the Rongelap people
were moved there by Navy ship. The annual medical surveys have since been carried out on Rongelap Island.
A group of more than 100 Rongelap people.
who were relatives of the exposed people but had
been awayfrom the island at the time of the accir
dent, moved back with the Rongelap people to
their home island and have served as an ideal
comparison population for the studies. Following
the initial survey of the Utirik people on Kwa-
jalein in 1954, a repeat survey was carriedout in
March 1957. In addition, during the past survey,
as in the previous surveys, a visit was made to
Majuro Atoll to examine a group of children who
represent part of the control group used for the
growth and development studies of the exposed
children.
people on Ailingnae. Lastly, 157 Marshallese on
Utirik Island, about 200 miles further east, received
about an estimated 14 r of whole-body radiation.
The fallout was not visible on this island and no
skin effects developed.
The exposed people were evacuated from these
islands by plane and ship about two days after the
SUT
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BR 7 eR OL
accident and taken to Kwajalein Naval Base
about 150 miles to the south, where they received |
extensive examinations for the following three
months. In view of the generally negative findings
on the American servicemen, they were later returned to their duty stations. The Utirik people
are 2
were also allowed to return to their home island,
:
where radioactive contamination was considered
to be of a slight enough extent to allowsafe habita-
9
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MA.UROS
Figure 1 Map of fallout area
(March 1, 1954), Marshall Islands.
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