The latest evidence from the
United States Public Health Service
shows that there is a much higher
incidence of lung cancer among
uranium miners compared with the
rest of the population.
Dr Victor Archer, an official of the
US Public Health Service, recently
updated a study on at group of 3366
uranium miners, of whom 745 have
died. Lung cancer caused 144 of
these and Archer says this is nearly
400 per cent more than the lung
cancers which would statistically be
expected to occur.
Dr Archer also estimates that even
with the new tighter safety standards
long term uranium workers would
increase by 45 percent their chances of
getting cancer.
"The epidemic of respiratory cancers
among US uranium miners is continuing
even though radiation levels have been
lowered in recent-years. A new epidemic
of death from respiratory illness has
begun among them", Archer claims.
Archers research. comes as no
surprise to many US critics of the
uranium industry.
Earlier evidence, also from the US
Public Health Service, revealed- that [
between 1946 and 1968 about 6000
underground uranium miners were
needlessly and significantly exposed to
radioactive gases.
Based on this research the Health
Service estimated that there could be
600 to 1100 more-lung cancers than
would normally be expected to occur
among a similar sample of the general
population.
While the US anti-nuclear movement
has tended, since .the Harrisburg
incident, to concentrate on reactor
safety, the latest US evidence on mining
hazards must be worrying for South
Australian uranium proponents.
Sir Arvi Parbo, the Chairman of
Western Mining, recently indicated that
Roxby Downs will be mined by the
underground method. All other
Australian uranium mines use the open
cut system.
American and European evidence has
shown that underground mining is the
worst source of contamination for
miners.
The danger to uranium miners results
from the inhalation of radon gas, a decay
decay product of uranium, which is
released when the area is mined.
When inhaled the gas can inflict
strong radiation doses to the lungs,
resulting in cancer several years later, as
a series of long term studies has shown.
The South Australian Health
Commission is currently investigating
claims that workers at Radium Hill, in
this State, have suffered much greater
incidence of cancer than other members
of the community.
The early evidence appears. to
substantiate that claim.
NOMINESA Note:
In 1980 a former member of the GreenPeace executive, that had supported the fantastic forays of the Rainbow Warrior into the South Pacific to protest and prevent European nuclear bomb tests (in the South Pacific), named Mike Rann, was writing in
The Adelaide Independent about the DANGERS of mining Uranium.
Click here for a photocopy of that article Uranium AND CANCER by Mike Rann
Mike Rann and most other SA politicians are sell-outs to the Uranium mining industry.
Mike Rann would become Premier over the Goverment of South Australia.
Reference :
The Adelaide Independent July 1980 page 5
