- 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