Status of Follow-Up Studies on Human Radiation Subjects

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Status of Follow-up Studies on Human Radiation Subjects 1. The reports t h a t follow indicate the feasibility of conducting new follow-up studies on the subjects of the major experiments. are based on information obtained from DOE Operations Offices or directly from investigators w h o were contacted. Due t o time limitations, the Investigators a t universities and hospitals have not been contacted. The records of names of subjects a t some of these institutions may not be available because of records having been destroyed. availability will be continued. irradiation, or i n some instances for organ irradiation, and assume a 40-year limits well below the levels of any known effects. would n o t be permitted under current rules, they were done with full compliance with the then existing rules and ethics. No malicious intents can be ascribed t o the early investigators just because the rules have subsequently been changed. To a large extent, the current standards are based on the results of the early experiments. In many cases the results obtained in human studies are quite different from those obtained by extrapolating from animal data. The inquiry as t o their I t should be pointed out t h a t occupational limits are set for whole-body These have large safety factors that put the occupational Although some of the experiments t h a t were conducted i n the early days SFS.1.001 Plutoniun Excretion Studies As indicated in the material previously supplied t o the Committee, three subjects were studied i n California, three in Chicago, 11 i n Rochester, NY, and one I n Oak Ridge. However, the responsibility for following a l l of these subjects was assumed by the Argonne National Laboratory. One subject, who had a bone sarcoma and who was 36 years old in 1947, i s the only one o f the plutonium subjects who is still living. His wife was recently contacted by telephone and reported that he has arthritis and high blood pressure, but nothing t h a t could be ascribed t o effects from plutonium. He and his wife have been asked and are considering whether or not he i s willing t o be family members who live elsewhere. There will be a delay because they want to discuss i t with SFS1.002 Relative Uptake of Radiun and Thorium The f f l e s on the subjects involved in these studies are available a t the present location of the principal investigator. These include names, addresses a s of 1964, and social security numbers. Therefore they could be traced. However, their ages now would be 85 t o 105 years and i t i s assumed that most of them are not still living. The low radiation doses that were involved give no reason t o expect any long-term effects. these studies have been very important in setting the permissible standards for the intake of radionuclides by workers for the nuclides involved, both nationally and Internationally. The results of

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SFS2.002 Effects of Radiation on the Human Testes Professor Alvin Paul sen, the principal investigator for the studies conducted atthe Washington prison, was contacted and has indicated a willingness to discuss the question of follow - up with the Committee orits prisoners do not want t o be identified. organized fol 1ow-up was d i scussed but the inmates were pol led and were against it. Also, the plans were brought to the attention of the US. Attorney General who requested that the follow - u p plans be dropped. this was t o avoid charges o f harassment i s not clear from the records available to us at this time. Even so, medical follow - up information is on record for the prisoners who remain incarcerated. No radiation related illness has been detected in this population. Medical services are available to prisoners who have been released, but only a "handful" have been seen inthe past 14 years. He said that the main impediment to follow - up studies is that the Prior to 1970 a plan for an SFS3.001 Whole-Body Irradiation for Treatment o f Leukemia When thein - patient part of the nuclear medicine and radiotherapy programs was phased outin 1974, DOE established a "Former Patient Care" fund t o enable the Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) to follow up on the leukemia patients and any other human studies conducted a t Oak Ridge and t o help the patients with future medical costs. The patients are being actively followed. Lists of patients ' names are available from ORAU. SFS11.001 Other Biological Effects Studies No. 51. Reactions of Human Skin to Beta Rays The response from Oak Ridge indicates that a listing of the 20 people who participated in these studies has not been located so far. distributed among some 179 boxes " originally destined for the National Archives but diverted on April 9, 1986, tothe Aerospace Corporation for FUSRAP purposes" or i n 90 boxes stored at Oak Ridge. It i s considered unlikely that the volunteers were identified by name inthe records. No. 186 Lanthanm-140 Administered t o Humans The administration of this radio nuclide was part of diagnostic studies with anemia patients and was not a radiation effects experiment. The one normal subject was the investigator, who i s known t o be alive and well and quite aware that he received an oral dose o f tanthanum-140 i n June 1964. SFS11.001 Other Biological Effects Studies No. 123. Human Absorption of Tr it i un The three subjects involved in these studies were investigators. available but can readily be obtained. The addresses of the other two are not immediately They are believed to be in excellent

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SFS11.002 Other Biological Effects Studies Effects o f Heavy Ions on the Nervous System with Special Reference t o Vision The subjects o f these experiments were investigators or laboratory employees whose names and current h e a l t h status are known. There have been no radiation-related illnesses in these people. SFS12.001 Metabolic and Physiological Studies No. 110 Promethim Administered t o Humans The names o f the 14 subjects are available. employees and their addresses are known. The addresses o f the other seven have not been checked. Seven are current or retired