Document Details
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Title:
THE LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY'S EXPERIENCE WITH PLUTONIUM IN MAN ( HEALTH PHYSICS PERGAMON PRESS 1962, VOL. 8, PP. 753-760 )
Author(s):
HEMPELMANN, L H [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]; LANGHAM, W H [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]; LAWRENCE, J N.P. [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]; MCCLELLAND, J [LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY]
Subject Terms:
HREX; HUMANS; PLUTONIUM; PLUTONIUM INJECTION EXPERIMENT
Document Location:
Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV
Document Type:
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Publication Date:
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0010
Accession Number:
NV0701329
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 27
OpenNet Modified Date:
2017 Dec 21
Description/Abstract:
THE PRESENT PAPER PRESENTS AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY'S INDUSTRIAL MEDICL EXPERIENCE WITH EXPOSURE OF PERSONNEL TO PU239. OBSERVATIONS COVER THE PERIOD FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE MANHATTAN PROJECT THROUGH 1960. IN THE EARLY DAYS, EXPOSURES WERE OF AN ACUTE OR SEMIACUTE NATURE. IMPROVED INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE AND ENGINEERING METHODS HAVE CHANGED THE PROBLEM TO ONE OF CHRONIC LOW-LEVEL EXPOSURE, LARGELY VIA INHALATION. CONSIDERATION OF THE LABORATORY'S EXPERIENCE DURING THE PAST 17 YEARS SUGGESTS THAT THE PRESENT PROBLEM AREAS ARE (1) THE DIAGNOSIS OF BODY BURDEN UNDER CHRONIC EXPOSURE CONDITIONS AND WITH LITTLE OR NO SPECIFIC INDEX OF EXPOSURE OTHER THAN A PERSISTENT LOW-LEVEL URINARY EXCRETION RATE, AND (2) THE CHOICE OF THE CRITICAL ORGAN WHEN EXPOSURE IS LARGELY VIA CHRONIC LOW-LEVEL INHALATION.