Executive Summary 1993
The Registries originated in 1968 as the National Plutonium Registry with the name changed to the United States Transuranium Registry the following year to reflect a broader concern with the heavier actinides as well. Initially, the scientific effort of the USTR was directed towards study of the distribution and dose of plutonium and americium in occupationally exposed persons, and to assessment of the effects of exposure to the transuranium elements on health. This latter role was reassessed during the 1970's when it was recognized that the biased cohort of the USTR was inappropriate for epidemiologic analysis. In 1978, the administratively separate but parallel United States Uranium Registry was created to carry out similar work among persons exposed to uranium and its decay products. A seven member scientific advisory committee provided guidance and scientific oversight. In 1992, the two Registries were administratively combined and transferred from the thereby gaining the advantage of the independence and other benefits associated with the academic setting. The Advisory Committee was reconstituted at the time of the transfer to include a public member and a member of the academic community, as well as four scientific members.
Scientific results for the first twenty-five years of the Registries are summarized, including the 1985 publication of the analysis of the first whole body donor. This was a chemist who had suffered a wound contaminated with 241Am early in his career. On the basis of the analysis of this case, new biokinetic parameters for 241Am were proposed, including a much shorter residence half-time in the liver.
Current scientific work in progress is summarized along with administrative activities for the period. Preliminary postmortem analysis of USTUR Case 0246, and individual who died 11y following a massive acute exposure to 241Am from a glove box explosion revealed an estimated deposition of 540 kBq, of which 90% was in the skeleton. Peritrabecular fibrosis and blood count changes are possible deterministic effects from this exposure, but radiation exposure was ruled out as a cause of the cataract suffered by this case. Other scientific progress discussed includes consideration of risk coefficients for alpha radiation based on evaluation of a whole body donor who had received an injection of Thorotrast some 36 y prior to death. Risk coefficients determined for liver cancer were in good agreement with those published in the BEIR IV report; those for leukemia and osteosarcoma were somewhat greater and lower, respectively. Other work in progress discussed includes a uranium kidney histopathology study, evaluation of actinide concentrations, and the preliminary results of the evaluation of a second whole body donor who had been administered Thorotrast.
A major accomplishment was established of the National Human Radiobiology Tissue Repository, located in a facility adjacent to the Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane. The Repository stores and makes available upon request its collection of unique tissue materials from persons with known intakes of long lived radioactivity for use by scientists for radiobiological and other studies. In addition to histopathology slides, tissue materials, and extracts from analytical solutions from USTUR registrants, the Repository includes the complete collection of frozen and other tissue specimens and materials from the radium dial painter study formerly carried out by the Argonne National Laboratory.
The report includes cases summaries, in-vivo monitoring and dosimetry data, and detailed tabulations of the results of postmortem radiochemical of the tissues of five whole body donors with occupational exposure to plutonium or americium. Tissue concentrations are presented for each individual tissue and bone sample analyzed for 238Pu, 239+240Pu, and 241Am.
Administrative progress during the period is summarized, and includes publication of a formal policies and procedures manual, a physical audit of the registrant files, acquisition of laboratory and office space, and publication of brochures for general public distribution.
This page was last updated on May 1, 2007. usturwebmaster@tricity.wsu.edu
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