Mortality study of Los Alamos workers with higher exposures to plutonium

Conference · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1983

OSTI ID:6793761

Voelz, G L; Wilkinson, G S; Healy, J W; McInroy, J F; Tietjen, G L

A group of white male workers with the highest internal depositions of plutonium at the Los Alamos National Laboratory was selected in 1974 for a study of mortality. This group of 224 persons includes all those with an estimated deposition (in 1974) of 10 nanocuries or more of plutonium, principally /sup 239/Pu but also in some cases /sup 238/Pu. Follow-up of these workers is 100% complete through 1980. Smoking histories were obtained on all persons. Exposure histories for external radiation and plutonium were reviewed for each subject. Standardized mortality ratios (SMR) were calculated using rates for white males in the United States population, adjusted for age and year of death. SMRs are low for all causes of death (56; 95% CI 40, 75) or for all malignant neoplasms (54; 95% CI 23,106). Cancers of interest for plutonium exposures, including cancers of bone, lung, liver, and bone marrow/lymphatic systems, were infrequent or absent. The absence of a detectable excess of cancer deaths is consistent with the low calculated risk to these workers using current radiation risk coefficients. An alternate theory that suggests much higher risk of lung cancer due to synergistic effects of smoking and inhaled insoluble plutonium particles is not supported by this study.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6793761
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-83-85; CONF-830101-3; ON: DE83006058
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560161* -- Radionuclide Effects
Kinetics
& Toxicology-- Man
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
ACTINIDES
AEROSOLS
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
BIOLOGICAL WASTES
BODY
BODY FLUIDS
COLLOIDS
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
DISEASES
DISPERSIONS
DISTRIBUTION
DOSES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GLANDS
HAZARDS
HEALTH HAZARDS
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LASL
LIVER
LUNGS
MATERIALS
METALS
MORTALITY
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NEOPLASMS
NUCLEI
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY
ORGANS
PERSONNEL
PLUTONIUM
PLUTONIUM 238
PLUTONIUM 239
PLUTONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOISOTOPES
RESIDUES
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
SAFETY
SMOKES
SOLS
SYNERGISM
TISSUES
TOBACCO SMOKES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URINE
US AEC
US DOE
US ERDA
US ORGANIZATIONS
WASTES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES