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Organs taken secretly from bodies of nuclear workers

scientists had long been concerned about workers’ exposure to radiation, essentially from plutonium. The analysis required a complex procedure in which organs were rendered to ash in a furnace and then dissolved in acid.

Families Shocked To Find UK Nuclear Workers’ Organs Were Removed For Secret Tests Peacefmonline.com,  17-Nov-2010 THE families of nuclear workers in the UK whose hearts, lungs and other organs were secretly tested for radiation for almost 40 years were let down by the authorities.

Michael Redfern, QC, was asked to investigate the little-known practice at Sellafield, in Cumbria, and other installations around Britain when it came to light three years ago. He has reported that in many cases families were “wronged”.

He heard evidence from 14 families and discovered that none had been asked for permission to remove their loved ones’ organs for research……

Redfern looked into the cases of 65 individuals whose organs were sent to or analysed at Sellafield predominantly for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL).

The inquiry also takes in cases from Harwell and other UKAEA sites as well as Aldermaston, the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

The inquiry’s brief was to look into the circumstances in which, from 1955 to 1992, organs or tissue were removed from individuals and sent to nuclear laboratories for analysis.

Redfern said that scientists had long been concerned about workers’ exposure to radiation, essentially from plutonium. The analysis required a complex procedure in which organs were rendered to ash in a furnace and then dissolved in acid.

Families Shocked To Find UK Nuclear Workers’ Organs Were Removed For Secret Tests | General News | Peacefmonline.com

November 17, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | civil liberties, UK | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear secrecy, nuclear weapons, plutonium, radiation, radioactive