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Brief Sumrary of Medical Findings in the Narshallcsc Accidentally Exposed to Radioactive Fallout in 1954 The accidental exposure occurred on March 1, 1954 following detonation of a thermonuclear devise on Bikini in the Pacific Proving Grounds. A shift in wind resulted in fallout * American Service men on the following inhabited islands’, No. of People Garma dose There were no deaths but certain acute effects were noted, particularly in the Rongelap people. Transient depression of blood cells was followed by recovery to near normal levels by one year. Fallo~t deposited on the body resulted in skin bums and spotty loss of hair in the Rongelap, Ailingnae and Rongerik groups. The burns healed and the hair regrew without complications in several months. Urine analyses revealed that internal absorption of radioactive material had occurred from inhalation and ingestion of contaminated food and water but no acute effects were obsezwed from this source (as will be seen below late effects did occur). Follow-up examinations during the first decade showed few findings that could be related to radiation exposure. Possibly zelaced was zhe occurrence of about twice the number of tis~rriages and stillbirths in the exposed compared with unexposed Rongelap women. This diifexence was not seen after 5 years.
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During the second decade there have been more serious developrmats. Some Rongelap children showed growth retardation which was later realized to be associated with a hypothyroid condition due to radiation injury to the thyroid gland largely from radioactive iodir.eabsorbed a: the time of the fallout. The thyroid dose was estinxitedto be 335 rads for Rongelap adults and 700-1400 rads for children, the higher dose in children being due to che smaller size of their thyroid glands. In 1963 tumors of the thyroid began to appear in Rongelap children and to a lesser extent in adults. These tumors have continued to develop in ensuing years until at the present time 29 of 86 Rongelap and Ailingnae people (about 1/3) have developed abnormalities of the thyroid gland, the majority in children. * 3 of these were exposed in utero, one of whom had thyroid tumors removed. * 1 of these was exposed Zn ke table shows that 24 have had thyroid surgery in the United States with three of the tumors proving to be cancer. No recurrence of tumors has been following surgery. A lti incidence of thyroid tumors has also been noted in the unexposed Rongelap control and in.the low exposure Utirik groups.
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The exposed Rongelap for the past 10 years and mal thyroid status in the people have been treated with thyroid hormone this treatment has successfully maintained noraffected people and enhanced grow:h and development in retarded children. In 1972 a 19 year old Rongelap man who had been exposed at one year of age died of acute leukemia in spite of t!lzaextensive treatment at the Clinical Center of the National ~an---~ns~ . The illness may have been induced ~y radiation. The annual medical examinations of the exposed Marshallese people continue with a team of highly qualified medical specialists. In addition we now have a resident physician stationed in the IllrshallIslands people on the outer islands.