Namibia's Rossing, union to study mine radiation

["Sandy Perle" <sandyfl@ix.netcom.com>]

More studies on radiation exposure

WINDHOEK, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Rio Tinto Plc's (quote from Yahoo! UK &
Ireland: RTZ.L) Namibian unit Rossing Uranium Ltd and the Mine Workers
Union of Namibia (MUN) said on Tuesday they would conduct an 18-month
study into the effects of radiation exposure at the Rossing open cast
uranium mine.

``The purpose of the verification study is to confirm or refute the
findings of a study on chromosomal aberrations performed by Dr
Reinhard Zaire et al on Rossing employees and controls,'' the union
and the mine management said in a joint statement.

Zaire, the MUN's expert on health matters, went public late last year
with allegations that a number of Rossing employees had contracted
illnesses such as cancer through exposure to low-dose radiation for
long periods.

His allegations stemmed from a study he conducted as part of his
medical studies at the Freie Universitaet Berlin (Free University of
Berlin) between 1992 and 1995.

They flew in the face a clean bill of health given to Rossing by the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1991.

The union and Rossing said two international experts, Dr David Lloyd
of the National Radiobiology Protection Board in the United Kingdom
and Dr Joe Lucas of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the
United States were to investigate Zaire's claims.

``Both are leaders in the field of radiation research and the use of
their two independent laboratories will ensure the reliability of the
research findings,'' the statement said. 
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Sandy Perle
Technical Director
ICN Dosimetry Division
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Office: (800) 548-5100 x2306 
Fax:    (714) 668-3149
  
sandyfl@ix.netcom.com
sperle@icnpharm.com

Personal Homepage:
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/1205

ICN Dosimetry Website:
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