Report of Human Radiation Experiments Identification of Organization That Might Have Conducted or Sponsored Human Radiation Experiments

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TEE DEPARTUENT OF TEE NAVY REPORT OF EUMNI RADIATION EXPERIMENTS IDENTIFICATION OF ORGANIZATIONS TEAT MIGHT HAVE CONDUCTED OR SPONSORED HUMAN RADIATION EXPERIMENTS A. This report is in response to the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy) request for a DoD-wide review of Human Radiation Experiments (attachment 1). This review identifies organizations that might have conducted or sponsored human radiation experiments. Identified are the archives and record centers where records concerning such experiments might exist and a description of the steps taken to search those records. All efforts have been taken to include any studies which may involve ionizing radiation. As such, studies may be included based on subject title alone and may not be based on actual human radiation experimentation. The information in this report incorporates data available as of February 25, 1994 for a report due date of February 28, 1994. Information from the United States Marine Corps was not received and therefore, not included. Additional information and details of individual studies continues to arrive and will be consolidated into future reports. B. The Navy organizations listed below have been positively identified as having been involved, to some degree, with human NAVY ORGANIZATION LOCATION POINT OF CONTACT Bureau of Medicine 23 & E street CAPT David George Office of the Chief Ballston Center of Naval Research TowerXl A. On January 3, 1994 the President called for the formation of a Human Radiation Experiment Interagency Working Group (HREIWG). This group, in conjunction with the services and other agencies, coordinated a government-wide effort to uncover the nature and extent of government sponsored experiments on individuals intentionally exposed to ionized radiation. EREIWG include the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Director of Central Intelligence, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Us. Christine Varney, Secretary to the The members of

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Cabinet, serves as Executive Secretary to the Working group, providing overall guidance from the White House. B. On January 7, 1994, in response to the President's call, then Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Les Aspin, issued a memorandum appointing Dr. Harold P. Smith, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy), as the DoD-wide focal point for the compilation and review of all Defense Department data related to ionizing radiation research with human subjects. In this memorandum, he directed the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) to: "Take immediate steps to ensure that any documents or records in your office related to human ionizing radiation research are retained and not destroyed. This includes all letters, memoranda, reports, logs, handwritten notes, written procedures, and all other writings, as well as photographs, maps, C. The effort to obtain documentation on ionizing radiation research was & to include individuals who participated in atmospheric nuclear testing or the occupation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These individuals are included in the national Nuclear Test Peraonnel Review (NTPR) program. D. On January 31, 1994, Dr. Smith directed the Secretaries of the Military Departments to produce an initial report by February 14, and a final report by February 28, 1994. Each report was to consist of two parts: Part I: The identification of DoD organizations under the authority of each department that, based on their missions and activities, might have conducted or sponsored human radiation experiments, together with an identification of the archives or records centers where records concerning such experiments might exist and a description of the steps taken to search those Part 11: Identification of human radiation experiments and the location of records regarding each such experiment. specific direction for locating records of DoD human radiation experiments. Of primary importance is the definition of "human Experiments on individuals involving intentional exposure to ionizing radiation. This category does not include common and routine clinical practices, such as established diagnosis and treatment methods, involving incidental exposures to ionizing radiation.

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(2) Experiments involving intentional releases of radiation (a) Were designed to test human health effects of to ionizing radiation. 111. Department of the N a w C DON) Tasking. On January 19, 1994, Richard Danzig, Under Secretary of the Navy, directed N3/N5 to coordinate with the Special Assistant for Health Affairs, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition), as well as with other members of the Secretariat, as appropriate. On January 26, 1994 an All Navy (ALNAV) message, released by SECNAV, requested each command to: "Execute a search for any documents or records related to human ionizing radiation research and take immediate steps to ensure they are retained and not destroyed." IV. Scope of records search. Specific direction for locating records of DoD human radiation experimentation can be found in attachmenti . This attachment includes the definition of human radiation experimentation, records, specific experiments for inclusion within the scope of the search, classification and declassification policies and the format for the reports. (b) Were designed to test the extent of human exposure A. The Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Director , submitted the Navy's "Initial Report of the Department of the Navy Review of Human Radiation Experiments" on February 14, 1994 to the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Atomic Energy). That report also did not include findings from the United States B. The thrust of that initial report and this "final" report is to identify human radiation experiments; experiments which could possibly involve humans in radiation experiments, and locate records pertaining to such experiments. The following information provides an indication of the magnitude of the search involved and the amount of data available. retrieval and visual inspections of available records will provide a complete and unbiased accounting of radiation C. The results of the Navy's review are provided below by organization. The Bureau of Naval Medicine and Surgery will be addressed first followed by the Office of Naval Research. Specific experiments, and possible applicable studies from ONR within the scope of this search are listed in Part 11. Continuing efforts in data

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PART I: IDENTIFICATION OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT WIGHT BAVE CONDUCTED OR SPONSORED HUMAN RADIATION EXPERIMENTS I. Bureau of Medicine and Surcrerv BUMED) . A. BUMED has been identified as one of two naval organizations that have sponsored human radiation experiments. Since the initial interim report on February 14, 1994, activities continue to report in with hundreds of studies where humans may have received ionizing radiation during the years 1944 to 1994. The number of studies awaiting review are estimated at 600. B. Key researchers, both active duty and retired, were questioned concerning research activities at various commands and documentation practices from 1944 to the present. They identified approximately seventeen activities where humans may have been exposed as part of a study. C. The reports at the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) were searched to identify applicable studies. Copies of research reports funded under a specific contract or budget line are supposed to be forwarded to DTIC upon completion of work. The DTIC computerized Title Index contains all reports (700,000) provided to DTIC since 1972 (Some of the reports reflect research performed prior to 1972, e.g. work performed in the 1940's and 1950's. but not submitted to DTIC until after 1972). Reports provided to DTIC prior to 1972 are maintained on index cards. DTIC performed a search by key words of their computerized and card indexes. The search identified over 3,600 Titles representing Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Nuclear Agency, Defense Atomic Support Agency, Atomic Energy and other U S Agency work, and translations of foreign work. Review of the Titles, Abstracts and Reports identified six sponsored by the Navy. D . The Naval Environmental Health Center, manager of the medical department's Radioactive Material Use Permits, was asked to review Nuclear Regulatory Commission Licenses and Permits to identify activities authorized to use radioactivity on human test subjects, and provide an estimate of the time periods when various commands had active programs. In addition, copies of any curriculum vitae (CV) containing publications of studies on humans were requested. E. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was asked via the Chief of Naval Operations, N-45, (Captain Malinoski, MSC, USN) to identify the location and number of licenses and protocols used in investigational radiopharmaceuticals. From 1963 to 1975 NRC reviewed and approved all protocols using investigational radiopharmaceuticals in humane. F. To understand record retention and disposal requirements in retention and disposal requirements.

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( 1 ) Medical and dental research and development project files as well as preliminary, interim, and final reports are retained permanently. They are transferred to the nearest Federal Records Center after 5 years and offered to the National Archives Regional Administrator after 20 years. to the nearest Federal Records Center after 5 years. After being held for 10 years they are destroyed by the Federal Records ( 3 ) Non-record copies of research project files are retained on board. These copies are destroyed after 5 years, or upon project completion/termination, whichever is later. G. Federal Records Centers and National Archives were queried to identify any records from activities suspected of having performed studies. All of the Regional Archives and Federal Records Centers have conducted searches for records from activities suspected of having performed studies which exposed personnel. Records are taken care of as follows: ( 1 ) Personnel, medical, and clinical records go to the National Records Center in St. Louis. Clinical charts and personnel medical records are retained for 1 5 years. Records are filed by Service Number or Serial Number. St. Louis estimates approximatelv 28 million Navv medical records are held for the 1944-1994 time frame. ( 2 ) Research and administrative records held at the Federal Records Centers are transferred to the National Archives after 25 years, where a decision is made to either purge or retain them. Only about 1-2 percent of all records sent to the Regional Records Centers uo into National Archives (legal cases, deeds, titles, etc.). The rest are destroyed. H. Each BUMED activity was tasked to search their records and report any experiments or clinical trials that involved exposure to human test subjects. I. CV were requested from researchers to identify publications of work performed at various activities. literature search for publications by author. K. A search for instructions governing human use testing was conducted. The Navv Manual of the Medical Department in 1951 provided formal auidance for conducting experiments usinq human US. test subiects. Further quidance was issued in DoD and BUNED instructions in 1964, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1988 and 1989. In addition, from 1963 to 1975 the Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviewed and approved uses of investigational radiopharmaceuticals in humans. A list of possible researchers was compiled to allow a

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11. Findinqs. Activities identified as having performed experiments or clinical studies involving exposure to humans are listed below. The summaries include a description by activity of types of work, time frame performed, efforts to locate records, individuals contacted, records found, and summaries of experiments and studies. studies listed must still be manually reviewed for relevancy. The Naval Medical Research Institute established the Radiation Technology Division which did basic animal radiobiology and support work for atomic weapons testing. from the early 1940's until about 1960. Dr. Cronkite stated that doctors stationed at NMRI from 1946 through 1954 were not allowed to see patients in the hospital. We have not ruled out that some physiology and medical tests may have occurred in collaboration with the hospital (1944-1946 and 1954-1960). Captains Erhardt and Gaugler stated that instances of their investigators conducting work on humans should be very rare, as the laboratory has been a basic animal research facility. It must be stressed that many of the The division was active Efforts to locate human radiation experiment records: (1) Queried knowledgeable individuals as to the type of work performed at NMRI. (3) Searched through DTIC's computerized listings and index (4) Queried Federal Records Centers for NMRI records. (5) Queried Federal Archives for NMRI records. (6) Searched Medicus Indicus for publications by NMRI Dr. Vic Bond, Brookhaven National Laboratory, (516) 282Dr. Eugene Cronkite, Brookhaven National Laboratory, (516) Captain Bob Gaugler, MSC, USN, NMRI Captain Doug Erhardt, MSC, USN, Executive Officer, NMRI Bob Plowman, Joseph Sheehan, Dan Bennett, National Archives Searched through technical documents available in the Searched NRC License File for authorization to do human

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and Federal Records Center, Philadelphia, (215) 597Environmental Health Center. (4) St. Louis Records Center stated one cubic foot of logs dated 1944-1956 were destroyed Aug 1992 by the Federal Records Center, St. Louis. (5) Federal Records Center at Suitland, Maryland holds approximately 475 cubic feet of records including some records from the Research Division at BUMED. List of Experiments or Possible Experiments: Containing Radioactive Isotopes, The Blood-Tissue Exchange and Excretion of Antimony in Humans Given a Single Dose of Copies of all technical reports are located in the NMRI No records were located in the Regional Archives. Radioisotope License File on record with the Navy Tracer study with radioactive antimony on two patients with elephantiasis to study the location and clearance time of antimony, used as the standard treatment for parasites which cause elephantiasis. (2) Study: "Decreased Free Fraction of Thyroid Eormones After Prolonged Antarctic Residence." 1983-1984 function. Performed under the auspices of NMRI on volunteers wintering over on Antarctica. indicate the Naval Medical Research Institute received BUMED funding in 1944 for a joint project with the Carnegie Institute to use radioactive antimony as tracer in human patients. This was done to evaluate the treatment of schistosomiasis with antimony preparations. No other records found to date. Study of the effects of cold weather on thyroid BUMED records at the Suitland Federal Records Center Seven human subjects breathed a mixture of Nitrogen-13 in a synthetic air mixture at one atmosphere for 30 minutes. Images were then taken over the head, neck, shoulder and

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knee to measure the gas exchange in specific body tissues. Purpose of the experiment was to evaluate and quantify gas exchange rates in tissue to improve Navy diving and decompression tables and help prevent injury to divers. Collaboration with Lawrence Livennore National Laboratory. (5) Study: "Tracer Gas Kinetic Studies for Decompression study the solubility of gas in tissue. Information would be used to improve Navy diving and decompression tables. This was done in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National (6) Articles published by individuals while stationed at NMRI are listed below. Literature search by author is Six to ten human test subjects breathed a mixture of 1. "Absorption of X-rays by Tissues of the Eead and 2. "X-Ray Therapy for Amenorrhea and Sterility." 3. "X-Ray Demonstrable Lesions in Occipital B. Naval Hospital St. Albans. Naval Hospital St. Albans was disestablished in 1973. St. Albans was the major Navy cancer treatment hospital on the East Coast in the late 1940's to early 1960's. In 1952 a medical physicist was assigned to help physicians develop therapeutic use of radioisotopes. The hospital had a radon farm constructed, but the …