-7ingested and inhaled varying quantities of alpha particles
during the atmospheric nuclear weapons tests,
What is
particularly worrisome is the fact that because film badges
were designed to only record external gamma
the internal absorption of alpha
and gamma-emitters)
(and x-)
radiation,
(along with beta, neutron,
may have been significant.
The study by
Elkeles would certainly warrant an investigation into the
possibility that alpha particle ingestion may be responsible
for an excess number of cardiovascular diseases amonq atomic
veterans, especially in view of our preliminary findings which
indicate an abnormally high incidence rate of heart problems
among our atomic veteran members.
In a report issued by the International Atomic Eneray
Agency
(IAEA)
in 1978,
a Japanese researcher has noted a major
finding concerning cardiovascular disease among Hiroshima
females.
Writing in the "Proceedings of a Symposium on Late
Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation"
March 13-17,
(Volume I, Vienna,
1978), Dr. H. Kato has discovered a dose-response
phenomenon with respect to cardiovascular disease in Hiroshima
females:
The rate of cardiovascular disease among the Hiroshima
A-bomb survivors increases with dose of radiation.
truly significant finding in two regards:
(1)
This is a
Japanese women
typically have a relatively low incidence rate of cardiovascular
disease in the unexposed population,
and
(2)
The new findings
from the Hiroshima studies suggests that gamma radiation was
responsible for more of the damage than was previously considered.