I hereby apologize for posting that other article about DOE Fraud - workers and community exposed to plutonium

I had foolishly assumed that exposure to plutonium was a BAD THING. But today (what coincidental timing) there is this article out of England that "allays" my fears. Don't worry, be happy. Sprinkle a little plutonium on your sandwiches today. Oh.. just heard the Today Show announce the Kentucky DOE fraud report. Guess they haven't gotten the good news.

Monday August 9 5:15 AM ET

British Scientists Inhale Plutonium 'Without Risk'

LONDON (Reuters) - Two British scientists who inhaled plutonium in an experiment to mimic the effects of a nuclear war have suffered no side effects, officials said Monday.

Britain's Atomic Energy Authority said the research into the effects of plutonium, until now considered a grave danger to mankind, would help people working in the nuclear industry.

``Tests using injections and inhalation have been going on for many years. They are carried out under very strict guidelines from the government,'' said Atomic Energy Authority spokesman Andrew Mann,

``There are no real risks involved in these tests,'' he told Reuters. ``Everyone that took part in this test is healthy.'' One of the scientists involved, Eric Voice, 73, who inhaled plutonium 18 months ago, said fears that plutonium was a danger to people were unfounded.

Voice, a nuclear scientist, said he and an unnamed colleague in his 60s had been well since absorbing a minuscule quantity of plutonium.

Voice told the Guardian newspaper that ignorance of how plutonium affected the human metabolism was a gap that medical science needed to fill.

``There will in the future be a nuclear war or an accident and we should know how it is going to affect us,'' he said.

``Because of the work already done we now know a great deal about what plutonium does to the bloodstream, and where it goes. The vital link we're now making is how it gets into the blood in the first place,'' Voice said.

Voice believes that plutonium has never harmed a human being, except when the United States dropped its atomic bombs on Japan to end World War Two.

Voice was one of 12 volunteers who were given plutonium between 1992 and 1998. Results of the study will be published next year.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 09, 1999

Answers

With "scientists" like these, no wonder we're in trouble.

-- Jon Johnson (narnia4@usa.net), August 09, 1999.

science is just the latest golden calf,the west's arrogant attempt to understand the whole by breaking it into tiny little pieces.

-- tao (tao@tao.tao), August 09, 1999.

I guess Bill Richardson hasn't heard the good news either:

U.S. Orders Probe Of Plutonium Exposure

snippet (follow link above for entire article):

"Plutonium, a key ingredient in nuclear bombs, is a highly radioactive metal that can cause cancer if ingested in quantities as small as one millionth of an ounce."

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson ordered an investigation Sunday into whether thousands of workers were unwittingly exposed to plutonium for more than two decades at a federally owned plant in Kentucky.

``I've ordered a full investigation to examine these issues,'' Richardson said in a statement. ``I am determined to uncover more about what actually occurred, who was responsible and what must be done to assure that it never happens again.''

Richardson said a team of health experts was sent to the plant in June to assess the situation and found ``no imminent threats'' to public health, worker safety or the environment. The investigation is continuing.

The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences will independently investigate any possible links between illnesses and exposure to hazardous materials at Paducah and other Energy Department sites, he said.

[National Academy of Sciences? Independently?]

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), August 09, 1999.

Pu is also highly poisonous.

Oh well, it is worth to remember that "scientists" said that high (normal) sugar consumption wasn't causing side effects on our kids. Roller coastering is normal Mom, haven't you read?

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), August 09, 1999.

Of course, they forgot to mention in the article that Mr. Voice now has a third ear growing out of the back of his head since starting these inhalation experiments!

-- Ann M. (hismckids@aol.com), August 09, 1999.