• Home /
• Statewatch Database /
• UK: Human radiation experiments revealed

UK: Human radiation experiments revealed

01 November 1996

In November the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) published a report backed by dozens of official letters, reports and minutes from the US Department of Energy, revealing that the British government has been taking part in radiation experiments on humans for almost 40 years. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Aldermaston, and the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at Harwell, were involved in the experiments, some of which ran alongside the American government's programme, since the late 1950s. The programme began officially during the 1960s and continued until the late 1980s, with at least one test continuing to the present day. The experiments involved radioactive substances such as barium-133, strontium-85 and plutonium-239 which were inhaled, injected, swallowed or eaten. They tests included: 1957-87 Injecting strontium-85 into a human subject 1960s Inhalation of radioactive iodine isotopes 1979-85 19 men and women inhaled niobium-92m 1986-88 Two volunteers injected with barium-133 1988-90 Eight male volunteers involved in repeat study The evidence from the US documents disputes the testimony of Aldermaston's chief executive who, in February 1994, said that: "No radiation tests involving human subjects are currently being conducted by AWE. Furthermore, we are not aware of any such tests or collaboration with the US on such tests since AWE (formerly AWRE) was formed in 1950. We have consulted the Ministry of Defence who are the custodian of much of our early history, and they have confirmed this." The nuclear guinea pigs: secret human radiation experiments in Britain, Eddie Goncalves. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (November) 1996. Available from CND, 162 Holloway Road, London N7 8DQ.