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BEST COPY AVAILABLE MEDICAL SU_95'6Jt EPORT TO THE UNITEXI NATICNS' GROUP OPJ THE STATUS OF THE RUNf?EzAP PEOPLE nuclear device in the Pacific, several inhaMted islands were accidmtallg irradiated with fallout. %is was the tume accident in wMch the Jqanese f a l l most heavily on bngelap atoll, atlout 100 miles fran the detanatlm and to a lesser extent on islands M e r away. b l a n d 8 were irradiated fram the fallout tp- threo routes$ radistirS (gama) from the ground, t r e e s and hovlses, resulted in wble boa yi a tio q 2. Stin contamination, with fdhut resulted in spot* localized irradiation of the akZn and s c a l p ; and 3. Xnterx&l-.contaraination occurred from ingesting of contaminated food and breath- In fallotis material, The island groupt and extent of involvemsnt WBB 38 foUnwsr The fallout material, a white powdery materi(al, The people on these The above oeoDla were all evacuated t o XwajaLain xbre they were caned for and sh died extensively for several. months. '&e U tir fk people who had mly the most Ildnbnal signs (blood effects) of radiation effects were ntoved back to their homes on Utirik. showed only mininal affeets were mturned to dpty 8hDrtly afterward. The RoTe hat- exposed h ge lap peop3.e m e moved to EJ it Island in Hafur0 Atoll for further care and study. The following facts concern tMs latter The berican servic8mBnt w h also About 2/3 of the kr@LaD gram experienced nausea during the fir& 2 4 4 8 hours after the datmatian and a few oamited and had diarrhea which was belt end due ta the penetrating radiation exposure. A large number axperioncad itchlng and burnlrrg of the skin, and a feu o f the e v e , which was believed due t o the badi2tAon of the skin. FolloWg thfs, the oeople were free of any cmplaints until about 2 weeks later when sLS n lesions de-.-eloped. The results o f the threcr types of radiation were as follows, 4 4 roentgens). Effects w e r e manifest only on the blood elements were &pressed tb about 50% of normal ty about the Gth week. Pltitelets(which keep the bo* from bleeding snontaneously) were deDr.essed to about 30%af' normal by the hth week. These blood elements have gradwiUy recovered t o normal range at mabsequent studies at 6 months, 1 p a r and 2 years.
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some degree and about 30% of the, adult& 90% developed skin ledonrs Qf spotty distribution over the elr;~predpprfs of the body not covered by clothing. Bhe majority of the s k i n lesions wen superfiaial and were s~ wome than a sunburn wifh the outer skin psellng atmy. T W healed and reuigtuenteel rapidly. A b o u t 20% of the people develaped deepr lesions which became scarring and lack of mgigmrentatim to nresdnt. The hair began repnin g about 3 m o n t h s after axpasure and by six mmths waa compl&ely rsgrmn in HawBver, even thsso, healed rapidly, b u t a few show EOW som degree of %nt ernal absorption of radioactive materials. However, the total b e buden ww found ta be below the %olerwcen levelo that have been Other than the &in lesions, loss of hair and early qm pt m there have been no illneesea or disease mocecmes that have been encountered wMch c o u M be attributed to radiation effects, either during the f i r s t survey or subsequent re6~rmy8~T h e r e have been no deaths, though many of the people are quite old. The diseases encountered have been no mre severe or frequent than in the Unirradiated population. T h i s was trw BpBn during the period a t that t h e an epidenJA of common colcb omxred, but YBB no worse in ths Rontplao people copa md to others. Therefore, a t no time has It been nsceasarg t o msort to sw spechllzed timatnrent for Pladiation effects on the, blood such a8 UBCI of propkylactia antibiotics, blood transfusions, etc. Houever, mretful consideration end treatment haa been given to all conditions which needed attention. T&a skin iedorrr did require careful treatmont and as a result we haw been reward& with U t t h or no aecondary Slfection of these lesiona. Ve cannot be certain that cancer ViLl not dewlo;, at t h e Site of skin lesions, ht it OW not too likely at &histiiqkee Fertility dld not apar to hawe been effected in view of thef act that smut 10 sound babies have been boxn in the g r o w since the emoei1t.e and hew pregnancies are fn evidence. The maple have reacted to this m nt philosoabically. They are an coomratfon. There is nutual respect and affecfion between UI. They appear to b cod art ably yliartered and well fed on E3it Island. They, of cwraet wish t o return to their homes on nongalap. rt is my understanding that the only thing that baa dslayed their return i a the comletbr~ of sumeys af t h e i r home islsncis by the AEC t o be aertain &a$ the islands