No Subject

[Anthony Barber <a.barber@qut.edu.au>]

I have been having a private e-mail conversation about possible health
effects of ionising radiation exposure with a US airforce vet with a
plethora of health problems.

I am posting the conversation as I believe I am getting way out of my depth
and would appreciate comments.

I have not included the name or email for the other individual to save him a
barrage of information. If anyone would like to mail him directly, please
email me privately and I will be glad to pass on the relevant details.

Thanks

Anthony Barber
QUT
a.barber@qut.edu.au

***************************************************************************
(First mail)
At 05:34 PM 22/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>Would  you please tell me (estimated)  how many rads a person would receive
>if they were approximately 6" to 12" for about 5 minutes from a unsheilded
>nuclear core that was designed to have a 25 kt explosion without any
>protective device or protectine clothing ?
>
>I will appreciate any information you can send me.
>

*****************************************************************************
(First Reply)
Hi

Who are you?
How did you decide to ask me this question?
Where did you get my e-mail address from?

rads are no longer used in the radiation industry unless you are very old or
live in some backward country where SI units have not been introduced (like
the US <grin>). Sieverts are used instead.

a "nuclear core" is a term which applies to a geometric arrangement of
fissionable materials designed to produce thermal power over a long period
of time, it is virtually impossible to produce an uncontrolled fission chain
reaction resulting in a "nuclear" explosion in such an arrangement of
fissionable material. Excessive heat buildup may result in a "steam
pressure" explosion such as that which occurred in Chernobyl.

A device designed to produce a "nuclear" explosion of 25kt I guess could
contain up to several kg of fissionable material, the actual mass would
depend on the type of fissionable material and trigger mechanism used and
may vary greatly. A much smaller mass of fissionable material could also be
used if the device was thermonuclear, where the fission explosion is used
solely as a trigger for the fusion of hydrogen fuel in the device.

The radiation related risk to any individual handling the fissionable
material from such a device could vary greatly depending on all the factors
above.

Fissionable materials typically used in "nuclear" devices are predominantly
alpha emitters and as such pose little threat as an external radiation
hazard. These materials become hazardous only when in contact with body
tissues or after ingestion or inhalation.
In addition, I imagine the chemical explosives used as the trigger for the
fission reaction are typically arranged uniformly around the fissionable
material. This precludes easy access to the fissionable material and acts as
a shield from radiation emanating from the material.

If you can specify some of the variables discussed above, I may be able to
provide you with an estimate.

********************************************************************************
(Second Mail)


At 08:04 AM 28/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>Who am I ? My name is XXXXXXX, I am a 65 year old atomic veteran and
>a member and researcher for the " National Association of Atomic Veterans in
>the United States'. I decided to write you after finding your email address
>on the " Health Physics www homepage that has your email address
>
> I decided to write you because many of the Australian Veterans that
>particapted in nuclear testing and are suffering the same health problems
>that the USA veterans are and that possibly some follow up studies pertaining
>to thief health and the diseases/disorders  conducted 
>
>Iin 1965 I employed by the Hong Kong American Newspaper, the editor was from
>Australia, consequently I met quite a few of his friends from Australia, one
>of them was a former squash champion of Australia that had gotten into
>financial bind and was evicted from his flat  I let him live with me and my
>wife for two (2) months and loaned him enough money to return to Australia
>and rent a home so he could get a fresh start in life. During that period I
>found that the majority of people from Australia were quite honest, truthful
>and kept their word or you could say they were honorable people that would be
>welcome in my home anytime. I was repaid the loan a 18 months later when I
>was back in San Francisco.. I figured that if you had the same set of values
>as the people I met I would get a honest answer from you if you
>replied.(thank you) please excuse ny typing as Ihad a eye operation monday to
>have a retina attached and remove a cataract that was diagnosed as caused by
>exposure to radiation,
>
>I know that the SI is used internationally, but here almost every thing I
>read still refers to RADS and REMS, but what I read has been written for a
>layman..
>
>The reason I am looking for the information is that I was exposed to the
>nuclear core during a training mission in 1953 in North Africa, My exposure
>at that time was not from a bomb that had been detonated, but from a core
>with shielding. I was making a inspection of the tech supply warehouse during
>a training mission and discover the container for the shield and core had
>been opened and who ever did it had pulled the top section of shield off and
>the core was exposed, I used my bare hands to wrestle the top section back in
>place and secured the shield, my hands were within 5" or 6" for approximately
>5 minutes, my head was about 12" to 15 " inches from the core during the
>entire period, I wore no protective clothing or device did not have a
>dosimeter,
>
>I was in the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1950 to 1854, I was assigned
>to  
> Killeen Base, Texas, (KB) a Defense Atomic Support Agency where underground
>tunnel systems contained atomic weapons assembly, maintenance, inspection and
>storage plants.  Some weapons stored there contained weapons grade plutonium
>(Pu239).  He was assigned to the Operations and Training sections Tech
>Supply.  One of his duties was the maintenance and storage of atomic weapons
>and component parts (stored in bunkers) and transporting such
>weapons when needed for various military operations.  He was also assigned
>the duty of drying bags of silica that had been removed from weapons while in
>storage or while being transported during operations and training missions.
> He
>was cross trained in the operations section in assembly, delivery and the
>loading
>of special weapons. I was also assigned to Sandia Base, New Mexico with the
>same duty assignment. I worked with the atomic bomb for 3 1/2 years/ During
>that time frame I was hospitalized six (6) times and treated on out patient
>basis thirtyfive (35) . I was diagnosed with chronic prostatitis in Feb 1954,
>prior to that I had been hospitalized or treated as a out patient for a
>penile discharge, all smears and cultures for  a venereal disease, all tests
>were negative  I filed a claim the the Department of Veterans Affairs for
>chronic prostatitis that was denied on the grounds that the prostatitis was
>the residual from gonorrhea (i have never had a venereal disease in my life).
>
>In 1951 I participated in a a bomb safety test where a bomb was placed in a
>crater we had dug that had aviation fuel in them, the fuel was ignitrfd and
>burned for 12 minutes and 8 seconds before the bomb exploded. I was
>approximately one and a quarter miles from ground zero on stop of a small
>knoll so I could watch the blast, shortly after the blast I returned to
>ground zero and stayed about twenty (20) minutes all the tine inhaling the
>dust and debris, .
>
>I enlisted in the USAF at the age of 17, during the next four (4) years I
>grew 1 1/2 inches and gained twenty pounds, I didn't;t start smoking until
>1953 and I was not a heavy smoker. To shorten this I have attached a medical
>evaluation by L. S. Kimbrough, M. D. as his report fairly well covers my
>duties and medical history from 1950 to 1954.Below I gave copied a letter
>from Lester Smith, P.hd., Toxicologist for the Center for Disease Control
>(CDC), I outlined my military history and medical history for him.
>
>I will appreciate any information you can furnish me with as the diseases I
>have are not any of the diseases that anyone in my family has, but quite a
>few of the atomic veterans also have. If you would care to evaluate Dry.
>Kimbrough's;s letter I would be grateful
>Respectfully yours,
>
>XXXXXXXXXX
>
>---------------------------------------------         //////////////////
>                   -----------------------------------------------
>
>DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES             
>         Public Health Service
>'···.~.~
>                                                               Agency for
>Toxic Substances
>                                                                and Disease
>Registry
>                                                               Atlanta GA
>30333
>
>                                                               September 17,
>1993
>
>
>       Mr. XXXXXXXX
>       899 XXXXX Street # 109
>       San Francisco, CA 94108
>
>       Dear Mr. XXXXXX:
>
>       Your second letter to the Agency for Toxic Substances and
>       Disease Registry explains fully your concerns about your
>       health. It is not easy to diagnose your health condition from
>
>
>       your letter, but it would appear that you may have been
>       exposed to plutonium radiation during your service with the
>       military. The exposure to carbon tetrachloride is apparent
>       from your letter.
>
>       The mission of the National Institute for Occupational Safety
>       and Health (NIOSH) covers occupational exposures, therefore, I
>       am forwarding your letter to Dr. Rick Hornung at NIOSH. I
>       also called Dr. Michael Kosnett at the Occupational Health
>       Clinic, San Francisco General Hospital to inform him of your
>       concerns. I would recommend that you call him at 415-206-
>       5391.
>
>       I am sure that you will find both referrals helpful. Please
>       do not hesitate to contact me if you need additional
>       information.
>
>                                                         Sincerely yours,
>                                                         Lester Smith, Ph.D.
>                                                         Chief, Toxicology
>Information Branch
>                                                          Division of
>Toxicology
>
>
>       cc:
>       Dr. Rick Hornung
>       Dr. Michael Kosnett
>
>
>
>If you need more information please contact me. and thank you again for
>taking your valuable time to helo me ..
>Content-type: application/octet-stream; name=MEDRPT95.TXT
>Content-disposition: ATTACHMENT; FILENAME=MEDRPT95.TXT

>
>Attachment Converted: C:\EUDORA\ATTACHMT\MEDRPT95.TXT
>

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(Second Reply)

Hi XXXXX, pleased to meet you, it's nice to know to whom I am speaking.

very briefly, in my opinion the carbon tetrachloride is the main culprit but
ionising radiation may also have contributed to the problems you are
unfortunately experiencing.

Carbon tetrachloride is well researched to definitely cause the following
effects in humans at the levels you were exposed to:

vertigo, headache, mental confusion, depression and  

liver dysfunction which causes nausea, vomiting, diahorrea, flatulence,
dramatic weight loss, stomache aches, jaundice, enlarged liver, kidney damage.

heart damage

kidney damage

liver cancer, lung cancer, hepatoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, leukemia

defatting of the skin, severe dermatitis including dry, scaley, fissured
dermatitis and other skin conditions.

These well documented effects explain many of the problems you are experiencing.

Your exposure to ionising radiation would most likely have resulted
primarily from your inhalation or contact with dusts containing radioactive
contamination (my guess is primarily alpha emitters) from your workplace and
the burning of contaminated materials and the fallout exposure. Based on the
info you have given me, this exposure may have been sufficient to result in
the cataracts you describe.