[ RadSafe ] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed Veterans

[Roger Helbig]

Is anyone on the list familiar with Elaine Hunter ..have any idea what happened when she claims to have been badly irradiated .. or is this just a fantasy on her part?

--- Elaine Hunter <dutnkyoh at yahoo.com> wrote:

> From: Elaine Hunter <dutnkyoh at yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 06:14:57 -0700 (PDT)
> Subject: [DU-WATCH] Follow-up Studies on DU exposed
> Veterans
> 
> What a guinea pig knows.
>    
>   When I read about calls for studies and proposed
> studies on the health of veterans exposed to DU, I
> get a knot in my stomach and feel considerable
> anxiety.  And it's not because I don't want the
> follow-up studies.  It's because I was twice a
> subject in follow-up studies in an entirely
> different case of nuclear madness.  But only a
> guinea pig, only a guinea pig.  They don't tell
> guinea pigs of outcomes.  Guinea pigs don't have the
> need-to-know.  When you are a human guinea pig, they
> don't even feed you, water you or clean your cage.
>    
>   NIOSH [National Institute of  Occupational Safety
> and Health] has my blood.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I
> was undoubtedly in the top 10 most exposed to the
> radioactive material in question.  I worked on
> highly contaminated equipment with negligible safety
> training or precautions except for what I found out
> for myself in research. Working only half-time, I
> averaged about half the allowable industrial
> maximim. I was among those who called for closure of
> the plant. I was among those who called for a
> follow-up study.  One phase of the follow-up was to
> collect blood smears from the more highly exposed to
> check for chromosomal damage.  While the principal
> investigator was on vacation, NIOSH came to his
> office, confiscated those blood smears and they've
> not been heard of since. I've received no follow-up
> information from the studies.  These studies were
> done in the early to mid 1980's.
>    
>   There is no doubt in my mind that the principal
> investigator [any vets' studies will have principal
> investigators] had the best of intentions.  But as
> they say "The road to Hell is paved with good
> intentions."
>    
>   If studies for chromosomal damage in vets' were to
> be done, they would be declared invalid as far as
> the veteran is concerned because no vet has had a
> baseline chromosomal study for comparison.  However
> it might be useful data to those who are conducting
> long on-going research into the effects of radiation
> on human beings.  
>    
>   Does it not disturb you to know that the human
> genome project is in the culpable hands of Los
> Alamos Laboratories and the Department of Energy?  
>    
>   Please, please, what safeguards are there in any
> proposed follow-up studies to ensure that veterans
> who volunteer for follow-up studies will not become
> just a ongoing bunch of guinea pigs for the nuclear
> war, research and power industries?
>    
>   Elaine Hunter