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Late Effects of Radioactive Iodine in Fallout
Combined Clinical Staff Conference at the National Institutes of Health
- JACOB ROBBINS, M.D.;
- JOSEPH E. RALL, M.D., PH.D.; and
- ROBERT A. CONARD, M.D.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Jacob Robbins, M.D., Chief, Clinical Endocrinology Branch, National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, Bldg. 10, Rm. 8-N-315, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md. 20014.
Excerpt
Dr. Jacob Robbins: During the nuclear explosion testing in the Pacific Islands in 1954, a combination of circumstances led to the accidental exposure of a group of Marshall Islanders, as well as some U. S. Navy personnel and the crew of a Japanese fishing vessel, the Lucky Dragon, to a rather unusual sort of fallout. In addition to body surface irradiation that led to skin burns and general body irradiation from the surroundings that led to acute radiation sickness, contamination of food and drink with radioactive isotopes of iodine produced pathological alterations of the thyroid gland. Largely through the perseverance
Acknowledgments
We are deeply indebted to the many members of the medical survey teams over the past 12 years for their participation and for the material presented here. We are also grateful to many other people for invaluable advice and assistance, including Drs. C. L. Dunham and H. D. Bruner of the Atomic Energy Commission; Drs. V. P. Bond, E. P. Cronkite, H. A. Johnson, L. K. Dahl, J. E. Jesseph, and H. L. Atkins of Brookhaven National Laboratory; Drs. S. Warren, B. P. Colcock, and W. A. Meisnner of Boston; Drs. G. H. Klinck, E. D. Henley, C. J. Stahl, C. A. Broaddus, S. Lindsay, and A. Hicking; and to other members of the Atomic Energy Commission in Honolulu and also to the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (Department of Interior) for assistance in carrying out these surveys.
Summario in Interlingua
Le presentia de isotopos radioactive de iodo in le precipitation atmospheric ab explosiones atomic es ben cognoscite. In le exposition accidental del habitantes de un del Insulas Marshall al effectos de un explosion del typo fusional in 1954, le irradiation radio-iodic del thyroides—particularmente de juveniles—esseva considerabile. Isto resultava in le disveloppamento tardive de insufficientia thyroide e/o de nodulos thyroide in 80 pro cento de ille juveniles. Al tempore presente, le effectos thyroide constitue le sol importante patente problema medical in le exponite population. Le detection de damnification thyroide esseva impedite per le lente modo de su declaration e per le inexpectatemente alte concentrationes sanguinee de iodoproteina in le population marshallese in general. Il es probabile que le elevate incidentia de anormalitates thyroide in le juveniles es le effecto de duo factores: (1) Un major intensitate del irradiation in consequentia del minor dimensiones del thyroide e (2) un plus forte susceptibilitate de un organo in crescentia pro manifestar alterations causate per interferentias chromosomal. Le spectro de possibilitates de exposition del glandulas thyroide a irradiation es extense in omne population. Illo include precipitation stratospheric ab explosiones atomic, tests clinic con isotopos radioactive de iodo, e alte intensitates de irradiation intentionalmente producite in le therapia de morbo thyroide. Le experientia marshallese va adjutar in definir le region de intensitates irradiatori associate con le occurrentia de significative damnos thyroide.
Article and Author Information
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This is an edited transcription of a combined clinical staff conference at the Clinical Center, Bethesda, Md., by the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service, U. S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
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- Received March 27, 1967.
- Accepted March 31, 1967.
