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Title:
MORTALITY STUDY OF LOS ALAMOS WORKERS WITH HIGHER EXPOSURES TO PLUTONIUM ( PLUTONIUM INJECTION EXPERIMENT )
Author(s):
HEALY, J W [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]; MCINROY, J F [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]; TIETJEN, G L [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]; VOELZ, G L [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]; WILKINSON, G S [LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY]
Subject Terms:
HREX; EXPOSURES TO PLUTONIUM; MORTALITY; STUDY
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:
REPORT
Publication Date:
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0010
Accession Number:
NV0703629
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 27
OpenNet Modified Date:
2012 May 14
Description/Abstract:
MORTALITY STUDY OF LOS ALAMOS WORKERS WITH HIGHER EXPOSURES TO PLUTONIUM. G. L. VOELZ, G. S. WILKINSON, J. W. HEALY, J. F. MCINROY, AND G. I. TIETJEN. 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 239PU BUT ALSO IN SOME CSES 238PU. 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 IN CONSISTENT WITH THE LOW CALCULATED RISK TO THESE WORKERS USING CURRENT RADIATION RISK COEFFICIENTS. AN ALTERNATIVE 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.