Re: Plutonium

[Bernard L Cohen <blc+@pitt.edu>]

On Mon, 28 Aug 1995 CHATHO@delphi.com wrote:

> Remember the statement that Pu is the most hazardous substance/material known
> to man?  K.K.S. (Sam) Pillay at LANL is looking for citable references - pro
> and con - for a compliation.  Send any reference you know about to
> s_pillay@lanl.gov (he is not a radsaf subscriber - maybe a good response will
> get him to sing up).  My thanks for him in advance. 
> 
> Charles C. (Tommy) Thomas 
> Approved by M. S. Thomas

---The statement was frequently made by Ralph Nader about 1974-75. I am 
reasonably sure that it came from John Gofman. My paper-- B.L.Cohen, 
Hazards from Plutonium Toxicity, Health Phys 32: 359-379; 1977--- cites 
three references in  Nucleonics Week, Harpers Weekly, and a National 
Council of Churches publication. Ted Taylor was also making similar 
statements at that time, but I can't cite a reference. My paper gives a 
thorough analysis and rebuttal of the statement; for example, it gives 
comparative figures for sarin, botulism toxin, and anthrax spores, as 
well as for many chemicals.