Human Experimentation: An Overview on Cold War Era Programs (Testimony,
09/28/94, GAO/T-NSIAD-94-266).

During World War II and the Cold War, the Defense Department (DOD) and
other national security agencies conducted extensive radiological,
chemical, and biological research programs. Precise information on the
number of tests, experiments, and participants is unavailable and the
exact numbers may never be known. However, GAO has identified hundreds
of experiments in which hundreds of thousands of people were used as
test subjects. These experiments often involved hazardous substances,
such as radiation, blister and nerve agents, biological agents, and LSD.
In some cases, basic safeguards to protect people were either not in
place or were not followed. Some tests and experiments were done in
secret, and others involved the use of people without their knowledge or
consent or their full knowledge of the risks involved. The effects of
the experiments are hard to determine. Although some participants
suffered immediate injuries, and some died, in other instances health
problems did not surface until 20 or 30 years later. It has proven
difficult for participants in government experiments between 1940 and
1974 to pursue claims because little centralized information is
available to prove participation or determine whether health problems
resulted from the testing. Government experiments with human subjects
continue today. For example, the Army uses volunteers to test new
vaccines for malaria, hepatitis, and other exotic diseases. Since 1974,
however, federal regulations have required (1) the formation of
institutional review boards and procedures and (2) researchers to obtain
informed consent from human subjects and ensure that their participation
is voluntary and based on knowledge of the potential risks and benefits.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  T-NSIAD-94-266
     TITLE:  Human Experimentation: An Overview on Cold War Era Programs
      DATE:  09/28/94
   SUBJECT:  Veterans
             Biological research
             Chemical warfare
             Biological warfare
             Radiation safety
             Hazardous substances
             Radiation exposure hazards
             Attrition rates
             Medical expense claims
             Testing
IDENTIFIER:  Operation Crossroads Nuclear Test
             DOD Nuclear Test Personnel Review Program
             CIA MKULTRA Program
             Nuremberg Code of Ethics
             Helsinki Declaration
             
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