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! BROOK HAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORYI I ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC . TEL AREA CODE 516 YAP14ANK 4.6262 Director for Radiological Physics Division of Biology and Medicine With regard to your letter of January 24, 1972 on “Leukocyte Preparations for Bikini Population,” I have the following I believe that leukocyte cultures and chromosome preparations can best be accomplished on blood samples in the Marshalls rather than on samples returned to the United S?ares. It is my understanding that blood samples should be relatively fresh for culturing chromosomes. Due to transportation difficulties, both within the Marshall Islands and between the Marshalls and the United States, it seems doubtful that sufficiently fresh samples would arrive in the United States for satisfactory cultures. Based on our experience with culture and preparation of chromosome smears at Rongelap Island, I do not b,elieve that preliminary sampling at Kili is feasible due to: 1. Difficulties in getting ashore from ship or plane at that island due to laclc of lagoon with protecting coral re-ef. This would be less treacherous in summer months than in 2. The need for a rather sophisticated laboratory set up for this work including a sizeable generator (to run incubators, centrifuges, etc.) which arc essential and we found an airconditioned room is desirable It would be difficult to set up such a laboratory at Kili, To me, the best plan would be to collect samples at Bikini when the people have returned and take them immediately by amphibious
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/ plane or overnight ship to Rongelap for culture and preparation where we already have available electricity, necessary laboratory equipment and an air-conditioned room. We will be willing to help with this phase of the work but we are not in a position !- to do the actual chromosome analyses at Brookhaven, and I assume yau could make other arrangements for this aspect of the work. H:rmann Lisco and his’ technicians at the New England Deaconess Ho,spital analyzed the Marshallese chromosome preparations previously, 1 but I donft know if he is still doing these analyses. It is possible we may run into opposition from the Bikini people to blood sampling, but we could probably overcome this. We could check their blood counts and hematological status from the same sample of blood. Unfortunately when I was at Kili several years ]. ago, I was asked about whether we would be taking blood samples ~ and.I. stated that we would not plan to do this. I If I can be of any further help in thiti matter, please let me know.