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The Knoxville Journal Department of Energy In response to your FOI request dated November 7, 1985, regarding SFS11.001, I am enclosing a copy of that document and the supporting fact Human Health and Assessments Office of Health and Environmental Research, Office of Energy Research
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Project Category: Other Biological Effects l b ) New York University I C ) Oak Ridge National Laboratory 2 ) Harvard Medical School 3 ) Lawrence Radiation Laboratory Oak Ridge Associated Universities 4 ) O a k Ridge National Laboratory General Electric Company IC) M. Nik son 1 ) To determine the biological effects of irradiation t o the skin 2 ) To study transplantation of tissues a n d whole organs 3) To evaluate the effects of internal irradiation from P-32, Y-90, Sr-90, and 1-131 when therapeutically used i n certain diseases, and the evaluation of the hematological response obtained from their use 4) To determine the distribution of tritiun i n the human body resulting from surface contamination, inhalation and ingestion Short Description and Follow-up Data: l a ) Shielded disks of 1-inch diameter containing P-32 were used. Exposures were made by setting the source directly on the skin. heal thy volunteers each were exposed t o doses of 140 t o 1180 rep. T h e dose required t o produce a visible reaction i n 80% of the people was found t o be between 170 and 200 rep. Two groups of ten For an erythema the dose was determined t o be 635 t o lb) Experiments carried out on living human skin in situ demonstrated that the iontophoresis of weak solutions of thorium X w-mcrease its biological effects as judged by erythema and pigmentation, and cause greater penetration as shown by autoradiography. (Report dated 1955.)
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IC) Fifteen subjects were exposed on their left fourth finger t o 200-600 R of 130kv x-rays i n a single exposure. before and after treatment. (Report dated 1947.) Microscopic observations were made 2)During the period 1960 t o 1963, one patient (in this report) received 250 R total body x-ray irradiation to suppress the immune reaction toa kidney transplant. Seven other patients received doses o f 350 o r 450 R. The treatment apparently was not successful but survi Val time wasn't stated. 3) During the period 1938 t o 1963, internal irradiations using P-32, Y-90 and 1-131 were continued and their clinical therapeutic and irradiation effects studied in patients with polycythemia, chronic leukemias, mu1tiple myeloma, lymphogranul oses a n d thyroid disorders, including thyroid carcinoma. The patients receiving internal irradiation over the past 25 years have been closely fol 1 owed. A h i g h percentage post-mortem examinations have been obtained on the deceased patients. 4a) I n 1950, six subjects received a few milli curies of tritium by in hala - tion of isotopical l y 1 abeled hydrogen gas. Tritium concentration i n urine was monitored f o r 15 subsequent days. 4 b ) In 1952, subjects inspired HTO saturated oxygen for 4 t o 5 minutes. The HTO retained in the body during the exposure was obtained by subtracting the HTO expired from the HTO inspired. 4c) A 1 so i n 1952, measured amounts of tritium as HTO were ingested by male Venous blood and urine were monitored for tr it i un activity for 24d) The lower arm o f subjects was exposed for variable lengths of time t o various activities of HTO as water vapor and the HTOin water. activity in urine was monitored. (1952.) 4e) Air saturated with tritium oxide was circulated for one h o u r over a 9.8 crr? area of a male subject's forearm. Absorption was estimated from the tr it i un activity in urine passed several hours fol 1 owing exposure. 5 ) In 1951, fourteen human subjects were exposed over a small area b l 0 at?) on the forearm or abdomen toa water-vapor atmosphere labeled with tritium skin area whi 1e breathi n g uncontami nated ai r. Absorption of triti urn oxide was estimated by measurement of tritium oxide subsequently excreted i n the subject's urine. The d a t a from these experiments indicated a 4-fold greater absorption rate than that measured earlier in rats. established the importance of the s k i n as a route of entry for tritium oxide and led t o reductions i n the allowable concentration of tritium oxide i n A single human subject was similarly exposed over his total