Plutonium Injection Medical Case File 40-014 (Correspondence, Reports, Tables, Charts, Death Certificate, 3/09/46 - 11/27/85)

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INTRA - LABORATORY MEMO SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Act Request We have been unable to locate the memo from Rowland to Schultz dated December 21, 1972 which you requested about 5:15 p.m. yesterday following the receipt of a letter from D. T. Goldman t o A. Schriesheim concerning this matter. A s today is the last business day before the deadline, December 2, further search is not possible without missing the deadline.Locating this memo i s complicated by the fact that Rowland retired about two years ago and Schultz Other intra - laboratory memos on the 18 plutonium research subjects referred to inthe Goldman letter, mention them by name and give personal information about them. The release of such documents would be a violation of the patients ' privacy and the right - t o - privacy is protected by law. constitute a violation of normal ethical practice in the handling of patient It would also The subjects referred to have been studied by several organizations since the mid 1940s. Non-personal information can be found in the scientific literature.A good review and guide to the literature up to the time of its publication can be found in Patricia W. Durbin, "Plutonium i n Man: A New Look atthe Old Data," pp.469-530, Radiobiology of Plutonium, Edited by Betsy J. Stover and Webster S.S. Jee, Published by the J. W. Press, Department of Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt lake City, 1972.

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Argonne National Laboratory Massac/~usettsInstitute of Technology New Jersey Field Station Southwest Field Station Bureau of Vital Records State Dept. of Health Tower Bldg., Empire State Plaza Albany, New York 1 2 2 3 7 We are writing to ask you t o assist u s by searching your records for the information indicated on the enclosure. The Center for Human Radio biology,supported by the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration,is conducting along - range study of persons who have been exposed to radio - active materials. The purpose is to increase our basic information about the toxicity of radioactive substances. Certain unexposed persons are also being followed ; these serve For our research purposes,we wish to obtain the best possible photocopies of original records,including the medical portions of death records, and also any amendments. The copies need not be certified. Please bill us for this service, as in the past. We assure you that all records of the - center are treated as confide nti al. For your convenience,we are including an addressed PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REMOVED 3001.531 CENTER FOR HUMAN RADIO BIO LO ~ V

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PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REbJ’IC‘dED CENTER FOR HUMAN RADIO BIO LOG YU OIC.AUL-USEROA Argonne National Laboratory Massachusetts institute of Technology New Jersey Field Station Southwest Field Station Deputy Registrar, City of Rochester In accordance with our telephone conversation today, we are writing to ask you to assist us by searching your vital records for the November or December, 1975 i n a Rochester, NewYork nursing home. The Center for Human Radiobiology, supported by the U. S. Energy Research and Development Administration, is conducting a long-range study of persons who have been exposed to radioactive materials. The purpose is to increase our basic information about the toxicity of radioactive substances. Certain unexposed persons are a l s o being followed; these serve as controls. We prefer the best possible photocopies of the original certificate, including any amendments, but will accept transcribed certification i f nothing else is available. Please send two copies t o H. A . Schultz at It is my understanding that your office does not charge other government agencies for this service. Very truly yours,

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Ieath Records Requested from New York State died in July 1944 at Saratoga died 11/24/69 at Dix Hills, Suffolk County died 11/25/75 at Rochester, Monroe County died 6/16/76 at Patchogue (Brookhaven Memorial HO spital)

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Subject: , 40-014, re Death Certificate A telephone call was made to our regular contact i n Albany, Mrs. Joan Levine, Staff Assistant of the Bureau of Vital Records (FTS 564-3075) regarding a death certificate for this case. that Rochester had turned in vital statistics only through October, 1975. She then gave m e the telephone number of the Registrar of the City of Rochester, whom I called (8-473-5700t442-4000)and talked to Mrs. Mary Sypias, Deputy Registrar. ery; they will answer i t the same day. we are a government agency. She asked meto send a letter on our stationThere will b e no charge because

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SUBJECT: Phone call from P. Durbin on 12-20-72 , I ' v e rewritten my notes of t h e above date when Dr. Durbin talked to m e after being unable t o reach you. A summary of the conversation about some patients exposed t o radioactive materials is given below - for your information. I. Death certificates on 1 2 "HP" c a s e s (11 a t Rochester, 1 at Dr. Durbin has 5 DC's; 3 persons a r e living in Rochester: 2 persons died a t home, probably in Albany County. 1 person is presently unknown, w a s in Monroe County Home, but no record of h i s death in Monroe County t o 1957. 1 person is 11. Clinical tests at Rochester. 1. Dr. Christine Waterhouse sees one man (HP6) and one woman (HP3) regularly in her clinic. T h e other woman (HP8) is i n her 7 0 ' s and lives crosstown; it may be difficult to g e t her in for a metabolik study. The other 2 persons probably canbe brought in anytime: if not, a n outpatient study might b e tried. HP6 has Addison's and has already lived 15 years beyond expectancy. HP8 has schleraderma and has already lived 2 0 years beyond expectancy. HP3 is in normal health. 2. The ward cost will be only $ 9 0 per day per person, because of USPHS support for the ward. This includes routine hematology, creatinine clearance and liver function.

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(. 11. 3 . Dr. Waterhouse wants u s t o provide the following: a. A list of what we want done: b. Containers and shipping instructions for excreta. c. A billing account number with t h e Strong Memorial 4. . Possible medical procedures: Iliac crest biopsy for material for autoradiographs. Blood chromosomes, Dr. Waterhouse may want to do this study. only a partial survey. 25 m l blood for studywill contact Utah; we may need at Utah and ANL. be able to help u s as aday to day contact person at b. W e should contact'Bil1 Moss at LASL t o let him know w e may.be sending samples for analysis soon.

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PRIVAGY ACT MATERIAL REhlOVED SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY STRONG MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ROCHESTER. NEW YORK 14642 Radiological and Environmental Argonne National Laboratory 9700 South Cass Avenue Thank you very much for sending the pre-print of your paper to me, as well as the results which appear in your annual report. Nursing Home here, within the past month. There was no autopsy. She had metastatic carcinoma of larynx as well as the far-advanced scleroderma. I think it would be possible to get further samples on and , particularly if these were done on an Kindly let me know if and when and how you would like us to do this. With best wishes. Professor of Medicine 8 0 0 I 5 4 4 PRIVACY ACT MATERIAL REfb!,Flb'v'ED :,

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the En vi ronrirental Health Section(previously Center for Human Radi obi ol ogy) , I refer you back to the fact sheet furnished Dr.Thiessen in 1984 (copy With respect to your telephone inquiry relating to plutonium studies in i n 1984 of causes not reasonably rel a table to plutonium. as of several days ago. Both the interviewer who contacted the household, and a review of the case file, suggest that the functioning of this subject is such that direct contact is contra indicated.I hope this is of some assistance to you. Case HP-6 is living Best personal wishes. E p i derni 01 ogy Group Leader

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ARCONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY Office of Health and Environmental Research Office of the Environment U.S. Department of Energy SUBJECT: Congressional Investigation into Health and Safety Policies of the Department of Energy (DOE) In response to Dr. C. W. Ed in gt on ' s memorandum of June 27, 1984, on the above subject,I have enclosed a fact sheet on "Plutonium Studies at the Center The fact sheet is in the format requested by Please let me know i f you need more information or documentation.

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Plutonium Studies at the Center for Date Terminated: Ongoing Objectives of Test : 1. To determine the excretion rate of plutonium 27 years after injection. 2. To determine the retention and body distribution of plutonium. I n 1945-1947, 18hospital patients of limited life expectancy were injected with plutonium in order to obtain information about the retention and organ distribution of plutonium. An important objective wasto determine the relationship between the body content and the rate of excretion in order to provide data for estimating the body content of plutonium from measurements of plutonium in excreta(Pf yas say). The results of this study were described in The data i n LA-1151 were reviewed in a manuscript prepared by P. W Tissue and bone samples had been obtained at autopsy from six of the cases a t times ranging from 5 days to 456 days after injection, and the longest collection time for excreta was about5years.In addition to preparing the manuscript,' Durbin traced the later history of the cases and discovered that four were still living in 1972. Durbin for publication in the 1972 volume, Radiobiology of Plutonium. (2s The Center's direct knowledge of the plutonium injection cases dates from December 13, 1972, when Dr. Durbin brought her records to CEZ for possible further follow-up. The Center then undertook to determine excretion rates i n study subjects who were still alive and t o exhume deceased subjects in order to determine the amounts and body distribution of plutonium. During 1973, CHR obtained metabolism samples from three living patients,obtained permission to exhume from next of kin of three deceased patients, and disinterred and transferred to CHR the remains of one of tbse deceased. The metabolism samples (blood and excreta) were taken at Strong Memorial Hospital (SMH), Rochester, New York. I n 19748 theU.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) reviewed the origins and subsequent follow-up of the plutonium studies. On December 31, 1974, the AEC authorized CHR to proceed with the program of study of the living patients who were injected with plutonium during 1945-1947 and of the bodies of deceased individuals from that group for whom legal consent for examination is Table 1 summarizes CHR follow-up activities and last known status(July 5, 1984) for each of the plutonium injection cases. CHR peron nel have published 10 reports on results obtained by study of these cases. 7 3 - 12) Copies of these reports are attached.

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Table 1. Plutonium injection cases : Summary of CHR activities and last known Old Case CHR Case CHR Activities status No contacts ; said to have died in Australia No contacts ; cremation ashes No contacts ; case unidentified 1973: Next of k i n refused permission to exhume 1973: Next of kin refused permission to exhume and radioactivity measurement 1973: Next of fin refused permission to exhume refused permission to exhume Lost to study,

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excretion of plutonium administered to man. Los Alamos Scientific P.W. Durbin. Plutonium i n man: a new look at the old data.In The Radiobiology of Plutonium, B.J. S t o v e r and W.S.S. Jee (eds. 1, The J.W. Press,Salt Lake city, UT, pp. 469-537 (1972). Robinson. The excretion rate and retention of plutonium 10,000 days after acquisition.In Diagnosis and Treatment of Incorporated Radio nuclides, Pro& Seminar, Vienna, 8-12 December 1975, IAEA, Vienna, pp. 15-22 (1976). R.E. Rowland and P.W. Durbin. Survival,causes of death, and estimated tissue doses ina group of human beings injected with plutonium. Health Effects of Plutonium and Radium, Proc. Symp. Sun Valley, Idaho, 6-9 of 239pU deposited in bone from a human injection case. Effects of Plutonium and Radium, Proc. Symp. Sun Valley, Idaho, 6-9 J. Rundo and F.H. Il ce wi cz. Blood content and excretory plasma clearance of plutonium lo4days after injection. Health Phys. SOC., Atlanta, 3-8 July 1977, Pergamon Press, NY, p.26 R.E. Rowland. The risk of bone sarcoma from plutonium-239. In Biological Implications of Radio nuclides Released from Nuclear Industries, Proc. Symp., Vienna, 26-30 March 1979, V o l . 11, IAEA, Vienna, pp. 211-224 R.P. Larsen, R.D. Oldham, and R.E. Toohey. Macro distribution of plutonium inthe human skeleton.In Actinides in Man and Animals, Proc. Snowbird Lake City, UT, pp. 191-197 (1981 1. J. Rundo. The late excretion of plutonium following acquisition of known amounts. In Actinides in Man and Animals, Proc. Snowbird Actinide R.A. Schl enke r and B.G. Oltman. Plutonium micro distribution in human bone. In Actinides in Man and Animals, Proc. Snowbird Actinide Workshop,

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11. R.A. Schl enke r and B.G. Oltman. Uranium concentrations in human bone. I n Actinides in Man and Animals, Proc. Snowbird Actinide Workshop, 15-1 7 of plutonium in hair following intravenous injection.Health Phys. -40, Reprints of references 3-12 are attached.

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PRIVACY ACT, MATERIAL REMOVED Department of Energy Argonne Area Office 9800 South Cass Avenue Dr. Alan Schriesheirn, Director Argonne National Laboratory SUBJECT: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA) REQUEST DATED OCTOBER 3 0 , 1985, The enclosed FOIA request is fora copy ofa memo from R. E. Rowland t o H. A. Schultz dated December 21, 1972, which discusses records of 18 plutonium research subjects. The request or is also asking for any supporting documentation and any subsequent memos regarding the subject. Due to statutory time limitations for responding t o FOIA requests, we must have your response no later than December 2 , 1985.

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Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Branch To the FOI Officer : This request is made under the federal Freedom of Information Please send me copies of. Memorandum, dated 12-21-72, from Data Processing, Center for Human Radiobiology, Argonne National Lab. Memo discusses instructions from Rowland to Schultz on records of 18 plutonium research subjects. Records were transferred to Schultz for his disposition. Please include any supporting documentation and any subsequent memos regarding this subject. A s you know, the FOI Act provides that if portions of a document are exempt from release, the remainder must be segregated and disclosed. Therefore,I will expect you t o send meall nonexempt portions of the records which I have requested, and ask that you justify any deletions by reference to spec gfi c exemptions of the FOI Act.I reserve the right to appeal your decision to withhold any materials. I promise t o pay reasonable search and duplication fees in connection with this request. However, i f you estimate that the total fees will exeed $50, please notify me so that1 may authorize expenditure of a greater amount. …