Re: Pu Induced Lung Cancers

[William V Lipton <liptonw@dteenergy.com>]

Keep in mind that the ALI for Pu-239 is based on the nonstochastic effects on
bone surfaces.

The opinions expressed are strictly mine.
It's not about dose, it's about trust.

Bill Lipton
liptonw@dteenergy.com

"Ron L. Kathren" wrote:

> Responding to Ruth's query, there is a very large body of evidence on Pu
> induced lung cancers experimentally produced in animals.  There is also at
> least one peer reviewed publication that suggests a threshold of 1 Gy for Pu
> induced lung cancer.
>
> Although human exposures have been much lower than those given to
> experimental animals, if memory serves there was recent study out of Russian
> that showed an association between lung cancer and Pu intake.  Lung burdens
> in these individuals were very much greater than in the US worker
> population.  Coincidentally, I believe that there was at least indication of
> a 1 Gy threshold.  Smokers would be at greater risk than nonsmokers because
> of the impaired clearance which causes them to retain a higher proportion of
> the inhaled Pu in their lungs and hence their doses are higher.
>
> Using the Pu injection cases is not appropriate.  They were too few in
> number, already ill and in most instances died relatively soon after
> injection (and hence not long enough for the cancer to develop), and a few
> were lost to followup.
>
> Ron Kathren
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Weiner, Ruth <rfweine@sandia.gov>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
> Date: Tuesday, August 10, 1999 7:30 AM
> Subject: RE: Paducah plutonium
>
> >In agonizing over this whole Paducah plutonium question, I came up with a
> >question of my own:  is there any epidemiological, or other non-anecdotal,
> >evidence of cancer from plutonium inhalation?   It would have to be
> >inhalation, because the Pu isotopes are alpha emitters and the oxide is, it
> >seems to me, not soluble enough to be taken up in crops and anyway why
> would
> >a plant use plutonium?  As a recall, in the famous Pu injection cases,
> there
> >weren't even any cases of cancer with a soluble plutonium compound injected
> >directly into the blood stream.  In fact, there was no effect, as I recall,
> >that could be traced to plutonium.
> >
> >Clearly only my own opinion.
> >
> >Ruth F. Weiner, Ph. D.
> >Sandia National Laboratories
> >MS 0718, POB 5800
> >Albuquerque, NM 87185-0718
> >505-844-4791; fax 505-844-0244
> >rfweine@sandia.gov
>
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