Fifty years of plutonium exposure to the Mahattan Project plutonium workers: An update

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Health Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004032-199710000-00004· OSTI ID:589102

Voelz, G L; Lawrence, J N.P.; Johnson, E R ^[1]

---

1. Los Alamos National Lab., TN (United States)

Twenty-six white male workers who did the original plutonium research and development work at Los Alamos have been examined periodically over the past 50 y to identify possible health effects from internal plutonium depositions. Their effective doses range from 0.1 to 7.2 Sv with a median value of 1.25 Sv. As of the end of 1994, 7 individuals have died compared with an expected 16 deaths based on mortality rates of U.S. white males in the general population. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) is 0.43. When compared with 876 unexposed Los Alamos workers of the same period, the plutonium worker`s mortality rate was also not elevated (SMR = 0.77). The 19 living persons have diseases and physical changes characteristic of a male population with a median age of 72 y (range = 69 to 86 y). Eight of the twenty-six workers have been diagnosed as having one or more cancers, which is within the expected range. The underlying cause of death in three of the seven deceased persons was from cancer, namely cancer of prostate, lung, and bone. Mortality from all cancers was not statistically elevated. The effective doses from plutonium to these individuals are compared with current radiation protection guidelines. 28 refs., 5 tabs.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 589102
• Journal Information: Health Physics, Journal Name: Health Physics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 73; ISSN HLTPAO; ISSN 0017-9078
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

05 NUCLEAR FUELS
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
DEATH
DELAYED RADIATION EFFECTS
DISEASES
INHALATION
LUNGS
MALES
MANHATTAN PROJECT
MORTALITY
NEOPLASMS
OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE
PLUTONIUM
PROSTATE
RADIATION DOSES
RADIATION PROTECTION