Information from ERDA Washington, D.C
Information from ERDA Washington, D.C. 20545
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON MANHATTAN PROJECT (MED) INJECTIONS OF PLUTONIUM INTO TERMINAL PATIENTS
The attached Fact Sheet on the injection of 18 patients with plutonium under the World War II Manhattan Projects (MED) was prepared by the Atomic Energy Commission in 1974. (The ERDA inherited the AEC records on this matter when it came into being in 1975).
In 1974, also, the AEC conducted an investigation—to determine whether or not the patients had been told the nature of the injections and had given their permission. It was found that the patient injected in 1947 had been informed and had signed a consent agreement in the presence of two doctors. Another patient definitely was not informed hut the records on the other 16 patients are unclear.
As a result of the 1974 investigation, the doctors of the four patients alive at that time were contacted and asked to tell the patients of the nature of the MED injections. One was not told because her doctor felt the knowledge would be detrimental to her health. She has since died. The other three patients, all of whom are alive as of February, 1976, were informed.
Since 1974, also, scientific papers have been presented by Drs. Durbin and Rowland on the findings thus far of the follow up studies they have conducted the last several years.
February, 1976
0001859 FACT SHEET ON MANHATTAN ENGINEER DISTRICT (MED) PLUTONIUM EXCRETION STUDIES
Purpose of Study: To determine excretion rate for plutonium in man.
Need: 1) Several thousand MED workers handling plutonium.
2) Accurate information needed on retention and excretion of internal plutonium for setting safety criteria.
3) Animal experiments produced con- flicting data which could not be extrapolated to man. --:
Protocol: Selected hospitalized patients injected with various amounts of soluble plutonium. Body excretions collected, measured and recorded for plutonium dis- charge for several weeks after injection.
When: Between April, 1945 and July, 1947 (AEC established in January, 1947. One patient injected after that, on July 18, 1947).
Where: MED Hospital in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.• (1) Strong Memorial Hospital of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. (11) Billings Hospital of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. (3) University Hospital of the University of California, San Francisco, California. (3)
The three university hospitals were associated with MED contractor laboratories and some staff members held joint appointments at the hospital and the MED contractor lab.
Patients Involved
Total: 18
Sex: 13 males 5 females
Race: 15 whites 3 blacks
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Age: 45-65 years 13 18-45 4 4 1
Selection Criteria: By combination of age and health prognosis - preferably 45 or older and/or with a life expectancy from an existing disease of less than 10 years. Most patients involved were diagnosed as having some disease which would be fatal within a shorter period. Deviation from these criteria occurred. In one case, the diagnosis later proved_tcl be inaccurate. ;4
Survival Time after Injections:
Less than 1 year 6 1-3 years 3 4-14 years 3 20 years 1 Living 4 Unknown 1
Cause of Death: All deaths in first three years related Oki to diagnosed existing illness. Later deaths unrelated to plutonium exposure (pneumonia and heart disease). There is no evidence to suggest that the plutonium injection influenced the course of the diseases.
Amounts of PU Injected: By current standards for a body burden (permissible amount of plutonium in human body).
Range from 2 to 145 (1 case) Average-7
Scientific References to Study:
Passing references to this study have been made in the scientific literature from time to time. Several reports on the study were written between 1946 and 1950 by people associated with the study. Many remained classified until about 1969-1971.
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Several unclassified reports were published over the years. They include:
E. R. Russell and J. J. Nickson: Distribution and excretion of plutonium: in Industrial Medicine on the Plutonium Project (R. S. Stone, Editor), National Nuclear Energy Series, Division IV, Vol. 20, McGraw-Hill, New York, 246-263 (1951).
J. S. Robertson and S. H. Cohn: Evaluation of plutonium exposures in man: Health Phys. 10:373-389 (1964).
E. Maxwell, R. Fryxell, and W. H. Langham: Determination of plutonium in human feces: J. Biol. Chem. 172:185-190 (1948).
The definitive discussion of the study was in a chalitev by Dr. Patricia Durbin entitled "Plutonium in Man: A New gook at the Old Data," which was included in the book Radiobiology of Plutonium published in 1972 by the J. W. Press of the University of Utah.
Recent Studies of Surviving Patients:
In 1972 Dr. Patricia Durbin, who had accumulated data on study for book chapter, explored possibility of following up living patients.
In 1973 Dr. Durbin transferred information and records to Dr. Rowland and the Center for Human Radiobiology (CHR) at Argonne National Laboratory. CHR arranged for follow up study of three of the four living patients and for exhumation of the body of two deceased patients.
In 1974 two papers on follow up were prepared for International Congress of Radiation Research meeting in Seattle.
000:8b2 7' • SUMMARY OF PU INJECTION PATIENTS i PATIENT DATA INJECTION DECEASED j
Case Age Sex Race Diagnosis Date Place Age Survival Time
Cal-1 58 M W stomach 5/14/45 Calif. 79 20 yr. 8 mo. cancer (misdiagnosis)
Cal-2 4 M W bone 4/26/46 Calif. 5 8 mo. cancer
Cal-3 36 M B bone 7/18/47 Calif. Still Living cancer
Chi-1 68 M W cancer of 4/26/45 Chi. 68 5 mo. mouth
Chi-2 55 F W breast 12/27/45 Chi. 55 17 days cancer
Chi-3 young M W Hodgkins 12/27/45 Chi. Lost to follow up adult Disease
HP-1 67 M W duodenal 10/16/45 Roch. 82 14 yrs. ulcer
HP-2 49 M W hemophilia, 10/23/45: Roch. 51 2 1/2 yis. heart disease
HP-3 49 F W hepatitis, 11/27/45 Roch. Still Living hypoproteinemia 2
Case Age Sex Race Diagnosis Date Place Age Survival Time HP-4 18 F W Cushings 11/27/45 Roch. 20 2 yrs. Syndrome
HP-5 56 M W A. L. 11/30/45 Roch. 57 5 mo Sclerosis
HP-6 45 M W Addison's 2/01/46 Roch. Still Living Disease
HP-7 59 F W rheumatic 2/08/46 Roch. 60 8 mo. heart disease
HP-8 41 F W scleroderma 3/09/46 Roch. Still Living
HP-9 66 M W dermato- . 4/03/46 Roch. 66 1 yr. myositis
HP-10 52 M B rheumatic 7/16/46 Roch. Lost to Follow up heart disease
HP-11 68 M W cirrhosis 2/20/46 Roch. 68 6 days of liver
HP-12 53 M B severe- auto 4/10/45 0. R. 60 7 yrs. accident injuries ..., *: