Studies on health risks to persons exposed to plutonium

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5732672

Voelz, G L; Stebbings, Jr, J H; Healy, J W; Hempelmann, L H

Two studies on Los Alamos workers exposed to plutonium have shown no increase in cancers of the lung, bone, and liver, three principal cancers of interest following plutonium deposition. A clinical study of 26 workers exposed 32 years ago shows no cases of cancer other than two skin cancers that were excised successfully. A mortality study of 224 workers, all persons with estimated deposition of 10 nCi or moe in 1974, showed no excess of mortality due to any cause. No bone or liver cancers were present, while one death due to lung cancer was observed as compared to an expected three cases. These negative findings on such small groups are not able to prove or disprove the validity of commonly used risk estimates as recommended in the 1972 BEIR and 1977 UNSCEAR reports, but the data do indicate that much higher risk estimates are not warranted.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA); Rochester Univ., NY (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5732672
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-79-3316; CONF-791085-3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560171* -- Radiation Effects-- Nuclide Kinetics & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
CHRONIC EXPOSURE
CHRONIC IRRADIATION
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
ELEMENTS
EPIDEMIOLOGY
GLANDS
IRRADIATION
LIVER
LOW DOSE IRRADIATION
LUNGS
METALS
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PLUTONIUM
RADIATION EFFECTS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SKELETON
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS