had a body burden of 0.5 Lg or more compared with
CLINICAL, LABORATORY, AND RADIOACTIVITY
3 in 11 persons with lower levels.
OBSERVATIONS
Furthermore, 6
of the 8 persons with total nose counts exceeding
Medical Observations
10,000 cowts per minute were in the former group.
In Fig.
8 the urine radioactivity, the number
of high nose counts,
and the total activity of the
high nose counts per month of exposure of 8 sub-
jects in the Recovery Group are correlated with the
amount of plutonium processed and protective measures used.
There was a sharp rise in plutonium
excretion in 6 subjects
(Nos.
3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and
17); in each case, the rise was preceded by a high
activity of nose swipes, suggesting considerable
exposure to airborne plutonium.
There is no cor-
relation between the level of bedy burden of plutonium as indicated by the urine radioactivity and
total activity in the nese,
but
this
is not surpris-
ing in view of the crudeness of the nose count
technique and the inevitable false positives due .
contamination.
42i)
5[-> el
“Y subject #4
.
1
J
l
1
> 15
Ww
l
1
(2302) (13156)
mee
~“ 5
=
~
4
+ Subject #6
L
4
Maximum permissible level for urine
J
1
[
i
—L
(2804)
Ty
4
Urine counts
_
7
°
ae a ease a a ese I
i
.
.
.
Moximum permissible lavel for urine
1
L
ds
J
T
> 1-H Oe | te 10 —- | 1 246 No further exposure ————»
(75)
(2990) (466)
Urine counts
7
1O;—
=
;
;
;
L
r Subject #7
I
1
r
1
Urine counts
7
Pe co he
|
_
. N 4
5-
Fig.
12
8.
April
i
phat ase, urinalysis,
cult blood.
take n:
and stool examination for
The following roentgenograms were
lateral skull, PA chest, AP pelvis, AP
e knee and elbow, lateral of foot, AP of foot, an
dent al films of right teeth.
Subject #8
Moy
!
June
f
O—sie— | ae—7 ate 15 —Pie~ 1B oie 6 pie 39k NSTie
15— Moximum permissible fevel,
for urine
10 -§.—
—
£
T Subject #9
LL
°
j
a
al,
1
Urine counts
J i
5 —
=
L
<< 3K 4 4 2 9 Nofurther
(2540) (15298) (21898)
exposure
I5—
o ioe
£
£
+
.
Urine counts
L
ee
ee
ee ee
eee
Moximum permissible level for uring’
we
1
i
i
i
YT Subject #17
eee
i
(7090)
Oo 15 Maximum permissible tevel
eee
n
<|4-5e-?
=
ee
L
Urine counts
for urine
sp ~~ So -- Ao oS =
ior
i
L
L
i
i
1
4
i
te
Subject #18
Oo 3-—_—_ | ————_Nofurther exposure
is
No. high nose
swab counts
Urine counts
or
Maximum permissible level for urine
T
> 4 i | oe | ic 14 >e- 8 ic No further exposure ——-——9
i
complete bloo
Be ND
Zsgaxienum permissible level for urine
a
10}-
March
This included inter
count, bleod calcium, phosphorus and alkaline p
>
15h
s-
At first, a very thorough stu
hist ory and physical examination,
T
19. 4c 2 he 7 te [2 ae 16 te No further exposure —---——
=
gq (10
O
L
(H25))
established.
every 2 years was planned.
—
Urine counts
Subject #5
Qo
Cc
was
NN aoximum permissible level for urine
1
lor
_
(financed by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commis
TRS TT TT TTT ae —
|
1
mem
am
Urine counts
> 7 3 | te 2 i 9 2 54— No further exposure ——————>
ist.
(917) {9390)(2418)
_
St
1953, a program for periodic examination of the:
_
ie) -
1
reliable methodology, and one other died,
more
No further exposure ———_——"_
(2759)(774)
:
ip Subject #3
drop ped from the series as a result of the use :
In 1953 and again in 1955, 22 and 25 subje
24 316— 1 te 8 HG
2OHIISS}
toni um workers had measurable body burdens acco
to the assay methods of the time, but 3 have be
l
1
:
l
2F©
™M
i
!
1
i
Amount of Pu handled by group
t =
Moximum permissible level for Urine
Protective Equipment Used
.
Effa ctive
K—— Filter poper respirators ——~———»e_ Positive pressure respirotors ———— Ordinary chemical, hoods ———>«——— Improved hood yentilation ——
July
March
L
1945
4
Aug.
L
Sept,
1
Oct.
J
Nov.
April
May
June
duly
Aug.
Sept
Oct
Nov.
1945
Graphs for 9 subjects showing the urine count, number of high nose counts per month, and total
Th
radioactivity of nasal swipes per month (parenthetical figures) from March to November 1945.
amount of plutonium handled by the Recovery Group and the protective measures used are shown in
the last graph of the second chart,
ab
wat
to
In the early 1950's it was thought that 29