Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 4 OctOber 2017

Cold War radiation testing in U.S. widespread, author claims

By JIM SALTER the 1950s and 1960s. The said. The women were said he will seek more in- vation in case of Soviet at-
Associated Press book focuses on the mid- chosen without their knowl- formation from the Depart- tack. Evidence now shows
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Three 1940s to the mid-1960s. edge. Blood tests were ment of Energy. radioactive material, not
members of Congress are An Army spokeswoman performed to determine “What an incredibly stupid, just zinc cadmium sulfide,
demanding answers after declined to comment, but how much radioactive reckless thing to do,” said was part of that spraying,
a St. Louis scholar’s new Martino-Taylor’s 2012 re- iron had been absorbed Sherman, whose district Martino-Taylor said.
book revealed details includes North Hollywood Doris Spates, 62, was born
of secret Cold War-era High School. in 1955 on the 11th floor of
U.S. government testing Among those who recall the Pruitt-Igoe low-income
in which countless unsus- the testing is Mary Helen high-rise where the Army
pecting people, including Brindell, 73. She was play- sprayed material from the
many children, pregnant ing baseball in a St. Louis roof. Her father died sud-
women and minorities, street in the mid-1950s denly three months after
were fed, sprayed or in- when a squadron of green her birth. Four of her 11 sib-
jected with radiation and planes flew so low over- lings died from cancer at
other dangerous materials. head that she could see relatively young ages. She
The health ramifications of the face of the lead pi- survived cervical cancer
the tests are unknown. Lisa lot. Suddenly, the children and suffers from skin and
Martino-Taylor, an associ- were covered in a fine breathing problems.
ate professor of sociology powdery substance that “It makes me angry,”
at St. Louis Community Col- stuck to skin moistened by Spates said. “It is wrong to
lege who wrote “Behind In this Sept. 5, 2017, photo, sociologist Lisa Martino-Taylor poses summer sweat. do something like that to
the Fog: How the U.S. Cold for a photo in her office in Kirkwood, Mo. Brindell has suffered from people who don’t have
War Radiological Weap- Associated Press breast, thyroid, skin and any knowledge of it.”
ons Program Exposed In- port on testing in St. Louis by the mother, and the uterine cancers. Her sis- According to Martino-
nocent Americans,” ac- was troubling enough to babies’ blood was tested ter died of a rare form of Taylor, other testing in Chi-
knowledged that tracing trigger an Army investi- at birth. Similar tests were esophageal cancer. cago; Berkeley, California;
diseases like cancer to gation. The investigation performed in Chicago and “I just want an explanation Rochester, New York; and
specific causes is difficult. found no evidence that San Francisco, Martino- from the government,” Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in-
But three House Democrats the St. Louis testing posed Taylor said. Brindell said. “Why would volved injecting people
who represent areas where a health threat. Cooper’s office plans to you do that to people?” with plutonium-239.
testing occurred — William Martino-Taylor said the seek more information Clay said he was angered She said her book shines a
Lacy Clay of Missouri, Brad offensive radiological from the Army Legislative that Americans were used light on the team of most-
Sherman of California and weapons program was a Liaison, said spokesman as “guinea pigs” for re- ly young scientists tasked
Jim Cooper of Tennessee top priority for the govern- Chris Carroll. search. with developing radiologi-
— said they were outraged ment. Unknowing people “We are asking for details “I join with my colleagues cal weapons. They worked
by the revelations. in places throughout the on the Pentagon’s role, to demand the whole in a closed world with virtu-
Martino-Taylor used Free- U.S., as well as parts of Eng- along with any coopera- truth about this testing and ally no input from anyone
dom of Information Act re- land and Canada, were tion by research institutions I will reach out to my Mis- “who could say, ‘This isn’t
quests to obtain previously subjected to potentially and other organizations,” souri Delegation friends on right,’ or put some sort of
unreleased documents, deadly material through Carroll said. the House Armed Services moral compass on it,” she
including Army records. open-air spraying, inges- “These revelations are Committee for their help as said.
She also reviewed already tion and injection, Martino- shocking, disturbing and well,” Clay said in a state- She hopes her book
public records and pub- Taylor said. painful.” ment. prompts more people to
lished articles. She told The “They targeted the most In California, investigators St. Louis leaders were told investigate.
Associated Press that she vulnerable in society in created a radiation field at the time that the govern- “We haven’t gotten any
found that a small group most cases,” Martino-Tay- inside a building at North ment was testing a smoke answers so far,” Martino-
of researchers, aided by lor said. “They targeted Hollywood High School screen that could shield Taylor said. “I think there’s
leading academic institu- children. They targeted during a weekend in the the city from aerial obser- a lot more to find out.”q
tions, worked to develop pregnant women in Nash- fall of 1961, Martino-Taylor
radiological weapons and ville. People who were ill said. Similar testing was
later “combination weap- in hospitals. They targeted performed at the University
ons” using radioactive ma- wards of the state. And of California, Los Angeles
terials along with chemical they targeted minority and at a Los Angeles Po-
or biological weapons. populations.” lice Department building.
Her book, published in Au- The tests in Nashville in the Sherman said he wants
gust, was a follow-up to her late 1940s involved giving a survey of people who
2012 dissertation, which 820 poor and pregnant graduated from the school
found that the government white women a mixture around the time of the test-
conducted secret testing during their first pre-natal ing to see if there was a
of zinc cadmium sulfide in visit that included radio- higher incidence of illness,
a poor area of St. Louis in active iron, Martino-Taylor including cancer. He also