- 23 nanocuries or more (47,48) |
And although there has been no
epidemiological study of the age-incidence of heart disease and
cancer among plutonium workers, the Limited published information
hearing on this question is more disturbing than reassuring.
Most
often cited is bbe medical experience of 26 plutonium workers at
Los Alamos
27, usually accompanied by a statement to the effect
that none of the medical findings for this group can be attributed
definitely to internally deposited plutonium. With equal justification
one may state that mostof the serious medical findings in this group
can be attributed to plutonium.
died in the early 1950's,
One member of the original group
Cause of death
died of a coronary at age 38.
ts not reported.
Another
A third suffered a coronary occlusion
bur recovered and was well compensated.
A fourth developed a hamartoma
of the lung and his right lower lobe was surgically removed in May 1971.
A fifth had a melanoma of the chest wall. A sixth had a partial
gastrectomy for a bleeding ulcer. One subject suffered loss of teeth,
apparently due to damage to the lamina dura of the jaws which show
the earliest effects in beagles given toxic doses of plutonium.
subject has gout.
Another
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. While 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 for 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 disease and other cardiovascular effects and to a
lesser extent of cancer and pulmonary emphysema(47) ."
Comments:
The author's discussion here, of what he calls "the Limited published
information" on plutonium workers with plutonium organ burdens, cannot
be categorized as a scientific analysis or discussion of the problem,
but rather as his subjective reaction and opinion.
In our opinion
the Los Alamos workers with plutonium burdens and the autopsy cases
in the Transuranium Registry do not constitute an adequate sample for
the assessment of theincidence of any type of disease.
We have not
and do not feel that it would be purposeful to compare the incidence
of various diseases with the national figures for such small samples.
Adequate comparison data for the incidence of disease is not available
for morbidity in theliving members of the Los Alamos group.
The