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BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC . Division of Biology and Medicine Atomic Energy Commission In view of the fact that the health of the Marshallese i s such a sensitive subject, we would like t o obtain approval for carrying out several procedures on the next survey which involve the use of mall trace amounts of radioactive materials. Careful consideration of such studies using trace materials i s necessary since a policy decision forbidding their use a t all i n these people would seriously curtail future studies that may be quite important both from the point of view of the health of the people and for scientific reasons, Therefore, perhaps each study should be carefully considered, weighing the merit of the study against the dose of radiation involved. The following procedures are contemplated for the next survey and preliminary work on them i s being carried out using the steel room at BVL. These studies woulci be carried out only i n volunteers who may perhaps be given some compensation. 1. I n view of the finding of unexplained high protein bound iodine levels in both exposed and unexposed Rongelap people, we have dcvised an Xlzl thyroid uptake study which will involve oral addnistration of only & sc of the isotope given orally with water and, by using the hi gay sensitive gamma spectroscopy in the steel room, it is pose - ble t o get a measure of t h e thyroid uptake in 24 hours even with the atjministration of suba mall amount of ~ 121. This, a s you know, i s only a mall fraction of the usual tracer dose used and only a few m r of radiation would be received by the individual, We would l i k e t o do this study i n about 20 volunteers, It wodd be ideal t o do it i n 10 exposed and 10 unexposed people, but we would settle f o r 20 unexcrits, we might be able t o help t o correct it, ning on doing a complete erythrocytic investigation, investigation, it wcrjld be necessary to know t h e rcd c e l l mass. To do this we would like to use theCr51 technique using tagged red cells which would amount t o about 10 +c of Cr51injected,a very snall fraction of the M.P.C. A disturbing finding also in the Rongelap people as a whole isthe anemic tendency. I f we can determine the cause of their low hematoWe are, therefore, planAs part of this This study would be done on 10 unexposed people.
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Dr. Charles L. Dunham January 16, 1959 3. A third study would be designed to determine if changes in skeletal growth and metabolism have resulted from their radiztion exposure. A tracer technique using Sr85 would be used t o measure the size of the exchangeable calcium pool and the rate of acrction of bone salts (ref. Bauer, C. H, and R. 2. Ray, Kinetics of Strontium Metabolism i n Man, J. Bone and joint Surgery 40:1278 1958). his offers the only technique available which giveran immediate index of bone iprovrth and metabolism. By using the whole body counter with this technique, the adsninistration of only a very low tracer dose of ~ r 8 5( 5 pc) is required. It i s proposed t o do this study on 5 cxposed and 5 unexposed It would be appreciated i f you can l e t rne,,&r$w your decision on these proposals (in whole orin part) a t yous$%onvenience, will other approval be necessary from other agencies, particularly the