Study seeks Navy N-test personnel

Press, 19 July 1989, Page 43

Study seeks Navy N-test personnel

PA Wellington A research group studying New Zealand Navy personnel who took part in British nuclear tests in the Pacific in the 1950 s says it should complete its study by the end of the year, even though it still needs to locate several hundred men who were navy regulars at the time. Dr Nell Pearce, of the Wellington School of Medicine’s community health department, said the study was progressing well but the group was still trying to find men who were on the ships Pukaki, Rotoiti, Royalist, Lachlan or Kaniere during 1957/58. About 1800 navy personnel were involved in the study; 600 from ships involved in the tests and 1200 from a comparison group. "It is important that we are able to contact and receive replies . from every person who/was on wthe ships at that ffitae and “not just those who have

had health problems or who were involved in the actual nuclear tests themselves,” Dr Pearce said. The study was comparing death rates and the number of cancer cases between the two groups. He could not comment on findings so far because the researchers had been “working blind,” not knowing who was in which group. The study was funded by the Ministry of Defence and begun in May last year on the initiative of people involved in the tests. A similar British study last year showed “some indication” of increased incidence of leukaemia and multiple myeloma (cancer of bone-marrow) in Navy personnel involved in the tests but no apparent higher rate of death or cancer, Dr Pearce said. . Most of the tests were conducted at Christmas Island during 1957' and ’ 1958. The Pukaki aftd the Rotoiti attended thetests.