[ RadSafe ] Question about a service-connected condition

[John Andrews]

Dick Granberg wrote:

>I was contacted by a retired Air Force pilot looking for some help in trying to make a case for getting his emphysema-related condition recognized as service-connected (he is a non-smoker).  He suspects that radiation exposure from his duties in the 1960's as a pilot on atmospheric test plume sampling missions contributed to the condition.  He stated that they were not provided film badges or other monitors, but did have a meter of some sort in the cockpit so they knew when they were in the plume.
>
>He said he was turned down once, and is looking for some technical support from the HP community.  From what he told me, I don't think he's going to be successful in relating the condition to radiation exposure, but weapons testing hasn't been one of my areas.  I wonder if there is someone in Radsafe land who is either familiar enough with his specific exposure situation to help him resolve this in his mind, or knows of a specific individual or office that he should be in contact with?  I'd like to give him some type of helpful feedback.
>
>Thanks,
>
>Dick Granberg
>dgranber at net-link.net
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Based on my experience measuring filters from sampling missions in the 
late 50's, I would guess that since he was the pilot and not the guy 
switching filters and marking and labeling and storing, then carrying 
them to the analytical lab, he got very little exposure.  Those doing 
the filter changing were badged as I recall.

It also depends on where he was stationed and what type of sampling he 
was doing.  For my part, I never saw samples that were hot enough to 
cause a radiation area to be posted.  Some were very interesting, though.

John Andrews, Knoxville, Tennessee