Edward Martell
Encyclopedia
For the British politician of the same name, see Edward Martell (politician)
Edward A. Martell (1920? – July 12, 1995) was a radiochemist
for the National Center for Atmospheric Research
(NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado
. He fought fervently throughout his life against the medical establishment and the National Institute of Health for what he perceived to be insufficient research into radiation-induced lung cancer
, particularly in regard to cigarette
smoking.
. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating in 1942 and served in the Okinawa campaign of World War II, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He received a Ph. D. in radiochemistry
from the University of Chicago
in 1950.
, Massachusetts
. He managed radiation-effects projects studying a series of nuclear weapons tests in Nevada and the 1954 hydrogen bomb tests at the Bikini Atoll
in the South Pacific
.
In 1962, after witnessing the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, Martell decided to pursue a different direction in his life and took up a position as a radiochemist in the Atmospheric Chemistry Division at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado
.
In 1980 he published a paper in Newscript in which he argued that radium
progeny, particularly polonium
-210, are responsible for the cancer-causing effects of cigarettes. He followed this up in 1983 with a subsequent research paper in which he calculated that smokers who die of lung cancer have been exposed to 80-100 rads
of radiation.
In 1993 he published a paper in which he theorized that ionizing radiation in artesian groundwater was the energy source which fueled the evolution of DNA and the first living cells, after exchanging ideas with the University of Colorado
's Nobel prize
-winning chemist Tom Cech. At the time of his death, he was working on a book called "Natural Radionuclides and Life".
and a member of numerous other scientific societies.
He served as an expert witness during hearings before the U.S. Congress and United Nations on radioactive fallout. He also spearheaded the cleanup of plutonium
contamination in the soil surrounding the Rocky Flats
nuclear weapons manufacturing facility located outside of Boulder
, after measuring levels of radioactivity surrounding the site. He also supported the Southern Poverty Law Center
which represented the victims of government-sponsored radiation testing on low-income black citizens.
Edward Martell (politician)
Edward Drewett Martell was a British politician and libertarian activist.-Family and education:Martell was the eldest son of E E Martell and Ethel Horwood. He was educated at St. George's School, Harpenden. In 1932 he married Ethel Maud Beverley. They had one son.-Journalism:Martell worked in the...
Radiochemistry
Radiochemistry is the chemistry of radioactive materials, where radioactive isotopes of elements are used to study the properties and chemical reactions of non-radioactive isotopes...
for the National Center for Atmospheric Research
National Center for Atmospheric Research
The National Center for Atmospheric Research has multiple facilities, including the I. M. Pei-designed Mesa Laboratory headquarters in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is managed by the nonprofit University Corporation for Atmospheric Research and sponsored by the National Science Foundation...
(NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
. He fought fervently throughout his life against the medical establishment and the National Institute of Health for what he perceived to be insufficient research into radiation-induced lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
, particularly in regard to cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
smoking.
Education
Martell received his education the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after graduating in 1942 and served in the Okinawa campaign of World War II, retiring with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He received a Ph. D. in radiochemistry
Radiochemistry
Radiochemistry is the chemistry of radioactive materials, where radioactive isotopes of elements are used to study the properties and chemical reactions of non-radioactive isotopes...
from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1950.
Research
After receiving his Ph. D., he became a group leader at the Fermi Institute for Nuclear Studies at the University of Chicago and also took up a position at the Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory in BedfordBedford, Massachusetts
Bedford is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is within the Greater Boston area, north-west of the city of Boston. The population of Bedford was 13,320 at the 2010 census.- History :...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He managed radiation-effects projects studying a series of nuclear weapons tests in Nevada and the 1954 hydrogen bomb tests at the Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll
Bikini Atoll is an atoll, listed as a World Heritage Site, in the Micronesian Islands of the Pacific Ocean, part of Republic of the Marshall Islands....
in the South Pacific
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
.
In 1962, after witnessing the devastating effects of nuclear weapons, Martell decided to pursue a different direction in his life and took up a position as a radiochemist in the Atmospheric Chemistry Division at NCAR in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
.
In 1980 he published a paper in Newscript in which he argued that radium
Radium
Radium is a chemical element with atomic number 88, represented by the symbol Ra. Radium is an almost pure-white alkaline earth metal, but it readily oxidizes on exposure to air, becoming black in color. All isotopes of radium are highly radioactive, with the most stable isotope being radium-226,...
progeny, particularly polonium
Polonium
Polonium is a chemical element with the symbol Po and atomic number 84, discovered in 1898 by Marie Skłodowska-Curie and Pierre Curie. A rare and highly radioactive element, polonium is chemically similar to bismuth and tellurium, and it occurs in uranium ores. Polonium has been studied for...
-210, are responsible for the cancer-causing effects of cigarettes. He followed this up in 1983 with a subsequent research paper in which he calculated that smokers who die of lung cancer have been exposed to 80-100 rads
Rad (unit)
The rad is a unit of absorbed radiation dose. The rad was first proposed in 1918 as "that quantity of X rays which when absorbed will cause the destruction of the malignant mammalian cells in question..." It was defined in CGS units in 1953 as the dose causing 100 ergs of energy to be absorbed by...
of radiation.
In 1993 he published a paper in which he theorized that ionizing radiation in artesian groundwater was the energy source which fueled the evolution of DNA and the first living cells, after exchanging ideas with the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
's Nobel prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
-winning chemist Tom Cech. At the time of his death, he was working on a book called "Natural Radionuclides and Life".
Positions and efforts
During his time at NCAR he served as president of the International Commission on Atmospheric Chemistry and Radioactivity within the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences. He was also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
and a member of numerous other scientific societies.
He served as an expert witness during hearings before the U.S. Congress and United Nations on radioactive fallout. He also spearheaded the cleanup of plutonium
Plutonium
Plutonium is a transuranic radioactive chemical element with the chemical symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is an actinide metal of silvery-gray appearance that tarnishes when exposed to air, forming a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four oxidation...
contamination in the soil surrounding the Rocky Flats
Rocky Flats Plant
The Rocky Flats Plant was a United States nuclear weapons production facility near Denver, Colorado that operated from 1952 to 1992. It was under the control of the United States Atomic Energy Commission until 1977, when it was replaced by the Department of Energy .-1950s:Following World War II,...
nuclear weapons manufacturing facility located outside of Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
, after measuring levels of radioactivity surrounding the site. He also supported the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
which represented the victims of government-sponsored radiation testing on low-income black citizens.