The Human Radiation Experiments - Final Report of the Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments

This book describes in fascinating detail the variety of experiments sponsored by the U.S. government in which human subjects were exposed to radiation, often without their knowledge or consent. Based on a review of hundreds of thousands of heretofore unavailable or classified documents, this Report tells a gripping story of the intricate relationship between science and the state.
Under the thick veil of government secrecy, researchers conducted experiments that ranged from the mundane to such egregious violations as administering radioactive tracers to mentally retarded teenagers, injecting plutonium into hospital patients, and intentionally releasing radiation into the environment. This volume concludes with a discussion of the Committee's key findings and guidelines for changes in institutional review boards, ethics rules and policies, and balancing national security interests with individual rights. Ethicists, public health professionals and those interested in the history of medicine and Cold War history will be intrigued by the findings of this landmark report.

Summary

This landmark volume describes experiments and environmental releases carried out or funded by U.S. government agencies in which people were exposed to radiation, usually in low doses, without their knowledge. It provides a historical review of government standards for human experiments, examines current ethics policies, and recommends changes.

Product details

• Authors: Advisory Committee on Human Radiation, Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments, Advisory Committee on Human Radiation. . .
• Assisted by: Ruth Faden (Editor)
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 09.05.1996
• EAN: 9780195107920
• ISBN: 978-0-19-510792-0
• Dimensions: 261 mm x 186 mm x 50 mm
• Weight: 1388 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Regional and national histories; Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Medicine > Non-clinical medicine; Medical research, MEDICAL / Ethics, MEDICAL / Radiology, Radiotherapy & Nuclear Medicine, MEDICAL / Research, Environmental factors, nuclear medicine, Medical ethics and professional conduct, Medical ethics & professional conduct, MEDICAL / Environmental Health