Review of reports by J. W. Gofman on inhaled plutonium

Technical Report · Fri Oct 10 04:00:00 EDT 1975

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7346902· OSTI ID:7346902

Bair, W J

Two recent widely circulated reports on the subject of inhaled plutonium have provoked concern among the press and in Congress. These reports, The Cancer Hazard from Inhaled Plutonium, CNR Report 1975-1R, May 14, 1975, and Estimated Production of Human Lung Cancers by Plutonium from Worldwide Fallout, CNR Report 1975-2, July 10, 1975, were written by John W. Gofman and issued by the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, P. O. Box 2329, Dublin, California 94566. Gofman's reports do not present an objective analysis of the hazard of inhaled plutonium; his arguments, in fact, contradict many conclusions drawn in the scientific literature and supported by experimental data. Because the reports are skillfully written, however, they could easily mislead readers who are not well versed in this area. The purpose of this review, therefore, is to examine Gofman's reports in the light of recent research studies and to identify errors of fact and logic in his arguments.

• Research Organization: Battelle Pacific Northwest Labs., Richland, Wash. (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: E(45-1)-1830
• OSTI ID: 7346902
• Report Number(s): BNWL-2067
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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ACTINIDES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
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