Radioactivity Measurements of Former Military Personnel Exposed to Weapon Debris

Abstract

Sixteen former military personnel who were present at the "Smoky" atmospheric nuclear weapon test have been investigated for internal deposits of radioactivity. Whole-body and thorax gamma-ray measurements, thorax and skeletal actinide measurements, and urinalyses for plutonium-239 and strontium-90 indicated no evidence of radioactivity in excess of that found in the general population.

Nucleonics

“…Polonium-210 is said to be the carcinogen in tobacco smoke that causes atherosclerosis (51), 210Pb is reported in the urine of workers around a coal fired steam plant (52), but EPA still cannot decide whether coal fired plants are 80 times riskier than nuclear or only1/50th (53). Contrast the aforementioned 210Pb and 210Po data with the results from skeletal, whole body, thorax, and urinalyses for 239Pu and 90Sr performed on 16 former military personnel who were exposed to weapon debris: "no evidence of radioactivity in excess of that found in the general population" (54). Perhaps EPA can be forgiven for being confused.…”