Read Time: 3 minutes
A “downwinder” is a person who was exposed or presumed to be exposed to radiation from the explosion of nuclear devices at the federal Nevada Test Site. These nuclear tests took place in the 1950s and 1960s.
The radioactive materials released by these tests are called “fallout.” Winds carried the fallout hundreds of miles away from the test site. People living in the downwind area at the time of testing were exposed to varying levels of radiation. We now know that exposure to radioactive fallout may lead to certain types of cancer.
What areas are considered downwind?
Currently, the federal government considers these areas part of the downwinder zone:
- Arizona counties: Apache, Coconino, Gila, a portion of Mohave County (north of the Grand Canyon), Navajo, and Yavapai
- Nevada counties: Eureka, Lander, Lincoln, Nye, White Pine, and a portion of Clark
- Utah counties: Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Washington, and Wayne
When were people exposed to fallout?
Currently, the federal government considers these timeframes as exposure periods:
- Being physically present in a downwinder area for at least two years (24 consecutive or cumulative months) beginning January 21, 1951, and ending October 31, 1958
- Being physically present at any place in the affected area for the entire, continuous period beginning June 30, 1962, and ending July 31, 1962
What types of cancers can downwinders develop?
Currently, the federal government considers these types of primary cancer to be related to radioactive fallout:
- Bile duct cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Brain cancer
- Breast cancer (male and female)
- Colon cancer
- Esophageal cancer
- Gallbladder cancer
- Leukemia (but not chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL)
- Liver cancer (unless the person has a history of cirrhosis or hepatitis B)
- Lung cancer
- Lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (but not Hodgkin disease)
- Multiple myeloma
- Ovarian cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Pharyngeal cancer
- Salivary gland cancer
- Small intestine cancers
- Stomach cancer
- Thyroid cancer
What if I or someone I love was a downwinder?
If you or a loved one meet the criteria of a downwinder, you may be eligible for cancer screenings.
Cancer Screenings for Downwinders
The federal гƵ Resources & гƵ Administration funds clinics in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. These clinics are part of the National Radiation Exposure Screening & Education Program. They offer cancer screenings to people exposed to radiation who are downwinders, participants at the nuclear test site in Nevada, uranium miners, millers, and ore transporters.
Find a .
Resources
- Learn the history of from the Marriott Library.
- Read about the from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.
- Get from the National Cancer Institute.