Other Accidental Radiation Exposures

Gilberti MV, Wald N The Pittsburgh radiation accident twenty-three-year followup of clinical and psychological aspects, in The Medical Basis for Radiation-Accident Preparedness, III The Psychological Perspective. Edited by Ricks RC, Berger ME, O Hara FM Jr. New York, Elsevier, 1991, pp 199-206 

Korol M, Green BL, Gleser GC Children s responses to a nuclear waste disaster PTSD symptoms and outcome prediction. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38 368-375, 1999 

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Reproductive Effects. No significant effect on reproduction (birth rate, fertility, incidence of spontaneous abortion) was found in the Techa River populations following accidental consumption of radiostrontium (and other radionuclides) between 1949 and 1956. Parental gonadal radiation doses were primarily derived from external gamma radiation. No studies were located that addressed reproductive effects in vivo in humans following exposure to radioactive strontium by the inhalation or dermal routes. 

B. Exposures to very high concentrations of tritium can cause intakes large enough to induce acute radiation symptoms. An accidental exposure leading to a multicurie dose of tritium induced nausea and exhaustion and eventual death of a victim (Conklin 87). Other estimates put the LD 50 at about 10 Ci this corresponds to about 1 mg of pure tritium. (Sublette 97) This is about the mass of a lethal dose of the nerve agent sarin (Sublette 97). 

My interest grew quickly, for this was a new field of study, a virtually unexplored subject, and the death of my son had awakened a concern about the paucity of medical knowledge about malformations. We knew almost nothing. But studies of incidental or accidental exposure to other forms of radiation had indicated the likelihood that the risks were enormous to all exposed to massive radiation. 

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