, ms pd Shoe ie : a VMS nA arare particle burdens of only a few picocuries of 2720p, in the lung 4) and similar total alpha activity per 100 grams of arterial wall tissue (41-43) By comparison, plutonium workers exhibit plutonium organ burdens ranging from a few picocuries to a few manocuries or more there .has been no enfdentolocical study a ae (47,48) « And although of the age-incidence of heart _ @isease and cancer among plutonium workers, the limited published information ~~ “bearing on this question is more disturbing than reassuring. Most often cited is the medical experience of 26 plutonium workers at Los Alamos (#999 | usually accompanied by a statement to the effect that none of the medical plutonium. an be attributed definiteiy to internally deposited a findings for this group With equal justification one may state that most of the serious medical findings in this group can be attributed to plutonium. the original group died in the early 1950's. Another died of a coronary at age 38. but recovered and was well compensated. One member of Cause of death is not reported. A third suffered a coronary occlusion A fourth developed a hamartoma of the lung and his right lower lobe was surgically removed in May 1971. fifth had a melanoma of the chest wall. for a bleeding ulcer. A A sixth had a partial gastrectony One subject suffered loss of teeth, apparently due to damage to the lamina dure»of the jaws which show the earliest effects in beagles given toxic doses of plutonium, Another subject has gout. The full medical history of this group, now mostly in their fifties, has not yet completely unfolded. Only 12 of these 26 plutonium workers were exposed to plutonium inhalation. Which of the observed effects were experienced by the inhalation exposure group? Regardless of the distribution, the medical experience of this small group thus far provides no basis fer complacency about the health consequences of plutonium exposure. Hanford employees and others whose autopsy tissue samples exhibited Plutonium levels in excess of 5 fCi/g died mainly of coronary heart