Radiation and Cause of Sickness

• Published in: American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health Vol. 54; no. Suppl_1; pp. 51 - 56
• Main Author: Meyer, Leo M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Public Health Association 01.01.1964
• Subjects: ABSORPTION; ACCIDENTS; AGE; BETA PARTICLES; BIKINI; BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE; BLOOD CELLS; BODY; BURNS; CARCINOGENESIS; Child; CONTAMINATION; CONTROL; DEPOSITS; Dermatology; DISEASES; FALLOUT; FISSION PRODUCTS; GAMMA RADIATION; Growth; HAIR; Humans; Internal Medicine; INTESTINE; LEUKEMIA; Leukemia, Radiation-Induced; LUNGS; MAN; MARSHALL ISLANDS; MEDICINE; NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS; OldMedline; PIGMENTS; POPULATIONS; PREGNANCY; QUANTITY RATIO; Radiation; RADIATION DOSES; RADIATION EFFECTS; RADIATION INJURIES; RADIATION SICKNESS; Radioactive Fallout; RADIOACTIVITY; RADIOISOTOPES; RADIOSENSITIVITY; RECOVERY; REGENERATION; REPRODUCTION; SKIN; THERMAL RADIATION; VARIATIONS; GROWTH; RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT; RADIATION INJURY; CHILD; INTERNAL MEDICINE; LEUKEMIA, RADIATION-INDUCED; DERMATOLOGY
• ISSN: 0002-9572; 0090-0036; 2330-9679
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.54.Suppl_1.51

The health status of a group of people exposed to accidental fallout in March, 1954, following the detonation of an experimental nuclear device at the Bikini testing site in the Marshall Islands, is reported. In addition to the 23 Japanese fishermen, the largest fallout exposure was sustained by 64 inhabitants on the Island of Rongelap, 105 miles from the detonation site. This gave an estimated dose of 175 r of whole-body gamma radiation, contamination of skin sufficient to result in BETA -ray burns, and slight internal absorption of radioactive materials through inhalation and ingestion. Medical examination of these subjects nine years after exposure showed slight reductions of all blood cell counts below control levels, but well within the normal range; retardation of growth of male children, especially those exposed at ages 12 to 18 months; complete healing of skin burns, with occasional areas of depigmentation and isolated instances of benign pigmented nevi; complete regrowth of hair in persons sulfering epilation; and no instances of leukemia, malignancy, suggestion of increase in the aging process, or decrease in the fertility rate. Finally, whole-body courts of exposed and control subjects were made in 1958 and 1961. Body burdens of various fission products are presented.