Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)

The Los Alamos Laboratory, also known as SiteY or Project Y, was built in 1943 to design and build an atomic bomb. After World War II, LANL scientists continued to perfect US weapons during the cold war. Today, LANL is a security research institution, with the responsibility of ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.

Fact sheets

Nuclear workers from the Los Alamos National Laboratory have been included in many NIOSH studies. Below are fact sheets that summarize some of the study findings for workers.

Multi-site leukemia worker notification (March 2008) presented at worker briefing September 2008.

Publications from NIOSH studies done at LANL

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and radiation: findings among workers at five US nuclear facilities and a review of the recent literature (2007)

Risk of chronic myeloid and acute leukemia mortality following exposure to ionizing radiation among workers at four U.S. nuclear weapons facilities and a nuclear naval shipyard. (2007)

Bone marrow dose estimates from work-related medical x-ray examinations given between 1943 and 1966 for personnel from five U.S. nuclear facilities. (2006)

Assessment of plutonium exposures for an epidemiological study of US nuclear workers. (2005)

Bias and uncertainty of penetrating photon dose measured by film dosimeters in an epidemiologic study of US nuclear workers. (2005)

Risk of cancer after low doses of ionising radiation: retrospective cohort study in 15 countries. (2005)

Leukemia mortality among radiation-exposed workers. (2001)

Study of mortality among female nuclear weapons workers. (2000)

The health effects of downsizing in the nuclear industry: findings at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. (2000) Final Report; 152 pg.
A case control study of multiple myeloma at four nuclear facilities (2000) PDF version of report: pages 1-50 (6566KB); pages 51-100 (3416KB); pages 101-150 (5744KB); pages 151-202 (4283KB).

Publications from grant-funded studies done at LANL

Wiggs LD, Cox-DeVore CA, Voelz GL (1991). Mortality among a cohort of workers monitored for 210Po Exposure: 1944-1972. Health Phy 61(1):71-76.

Wiggs LD, Cox-DeVore CA, Wilkinson GS, Reyes M (1991). Mortality among workers exposed to external ionizing radiation at a nuclear facility in Ohio. J Occup Med 33(5): 632-637.

Wiggs LD, Johnson ER, Cox-DeVore CA, Voelz GL (1991). Mortality through 1990 among white male workers at Los Alamos National Laboratory: Considering exposures to plutonium and external ionizing radiation. Health Phy 67(6): 577-588.

Related websites

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Medical screening programs available to workers

Building Trades National Medical Screening Program
To learn more, call 1-800-866-9663

Worker Health Protection Program (WHPP)
To learn more, call 513-367-1333