Review of medical findings in a Marshallese population twenty-six years after accidental exposure to radioactive fallout
In March 1954, radioactive debris from a thermonuclear weapon test at Bikini Atoll deviated from predicted trajectories and contaminated several atolls in the northern Marshall Islands. As a result, 239 native inhabitants of these islands along with 28 American servicemen and 23 Japanese fishermen received variably severe exposures to diverse ionizing radiations. Fallout material consisted largely of mixed fission products with small amounts of neutron-induced radionuclides and minimal amounts of fissionable elements, producing a complex spectrum of electromagnetic and particulate radiation. Individuals were exposed to deeply penetrating, whole-body gamma irradiation, to internal radiation emitters assimilated either by inhalation or by ingestion of contaminated water and food, and to direct radiation from material accumulating on body surfaces. That accident initiated a cascade of events, medical, social and political, which continue in varying forms to this day. Most of these have been discussed in the open medical literature and in periodic reports issued by the medical team headquartered at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This report attempts to summarize some of the principal findings of medical significnce that have been observed during the subsequent 26 years with particular emphasis on the last six years.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76CH00016
- OSTI ID:
- 6008973
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-51261; ON: DE82003249; TRN: 82-001050
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
HUMAN POPULATIONS
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
EARLY RADIATION EFFECTS
MARSHALL ISLANDS
RADIATION ACCIDENTS
CHROMOSOMAL ABERRATIONS
CONTAMINATION
DATA COMPILATION
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE PATHWAY
FALLOUT
FISSION PRODUCTS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PARASITES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION MONITORING
THYROID
ACCIDENTS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
DATA
DISEASES
DOSES
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
EXPLOSIONS
GLANDS
INFORMATION
ISLANDS
ISOTOPES
MATERIALS
MICRONESIA
MONITORING
MUTATIONS
NUMERICAL DATA
OCEANIA
ORGANS
POPULATIONS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
560151* - Radiation Effects on Animals- Man