Environmental Defense Institute
News on Environmental Health and Safety Issues
November/December 2004
Volume 15 Number 4
[snip]
Researchers Find Radiation Causes More Diseases
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that "Ionizing radiation can functionally alter the immune system and break self-tolerance"(a technical term for when radiation breaks down the normal ability to fight off disease). The study is published in the Journal of Immunology. The researchers irradiated the thymus and the peripheral lymphoid organs/tissues in mice to induce the autoimmune response. Total lymphoid irradiation on mice caused various organ-specific autoimmune diseases, such as gastritis, thyroiditis, and orchitis, depending on the radiation dosages, the extent of lymphoid irradiation, and the genetic background of the mouse strains. They concluded, "these results indicate that high dose, fractionated ionizing radiation on the lymphoid organs/tissues can cause autoimmune disease by affecting the T cell immune system." (1)
Downwinders have claimed for decades that radiation causes more diseases than the limited list of cancers that the federal government recognizes. High on the Downwinders list is the autoimmune disease multiple-sclerosis (MS), which appears to occur in epidemic proportions in regions exposed to Nevada Test Site, INEEL, and Hanford fallout.
Dr. Peter Rickards, DPM, reviewed the Multiple Sclerosis Society data on the incidence rates in Idaho. While searching for data Rickards found the government's Hanford website had noted, but dismissed the clear MS rate difference between Washingtonians upwind and downwind from Hanford. Rickards notes that the CDC says we should expect 88 cases of MS per 100,000 people, and states the American high is a rate of 160/ 100,000 people. The government noted, "The Society's estimated rate in Yakima, Kittitas, Benton, Franklin, and Klickitat counties is 200 cases per 100,000. These counties are in eastern Washington; Benton and Franklin counties are usually considered to be in the immediate downwind area from Hanford. The Multiple Sclerosis Society puts western (Pacific coastal region west of the Cascades) Washington's rate at 65 cases per 100,000 people based on voluntary reports to the Multiple Sclerosis Society," (2)
When Rickards checked the voluntary Idaho MS Society rates, the whole state averaged 174/100,000 , which is higher than the stated American highest rate. "High MS rates in Idaho include Ada County at 238.17 per 100,000, Lemhi at 200.5, Lincoln at 260.48, Gem at 191.49, Bonneville at 197.45 ." (3)
Rickards was contacted by former College of Southern Idaho faculty member, Fred Trenkle. While Lincoln County had the Idaho State high rate, that was with only ten voluntary reports. Fred's wife has MS and he has collected many classmates health information. Fred listed 21 people with MS just in Shoshone. That is just those with official diagnosis, with many more unable to afford a doctor, but showing signs of the disease. The highest rate of MS in the world that is confirmed by scientific study is 309 cases per 100,000 per people in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. Just using those 21 people in Shoshone (40 miles north of Twin Falls in Lincoln County) rates 520 per 100,000, and the town of Shoshone at 1487/100,000. Looking at a 30-mile circle Fred totals over 100 people with MS.
While MS clusters are often dismissed, when you look at downwind Hanford and all of Idaho, "it does appear a large footprint from the Nevada Test Site fallout matches the high MS rates." In asking the National Academy of Sciences for fallout compensation for autoimmune disorders, Rickards questioned, "We are a little big to be dismissed as a cluster, aren't we?"
1. N. Sakaguchi, K. Miyai, and S. Sakaguchi, The Journal of Immunology, Vol 152, Issue 5 2586-2595, American Association of Immunologists, April 2-6, 1994.
2. Environmental Health Programs, Hanford Health Information Network website page 5 to 8,
http://www.doh.wa.gov/hanford/publications/overview/immune.html
3. Dr. Peter Rickards letter to Isaf Al-Nabulsi, chair of National Academy of Sciences, RECA Panel, September 20, 2004..
