Search for Coventry women in 1960s radioactive chapatis study

Researchers are looking for South Asian women who were fed radioactive chapatis successful the 1960s arsenic portion of a survey looking astatine robust absorption.

Taiwo Owatemi MP said she was "deeply concerned" astir the survey successful Coventry funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

"It seems that consent was not sought nor due accusation fixed to women astatine the clip they took part," she said.

A MRC spokesperson said an autarkic enquiry had examined questions raised.

The autarkic report, published successful 1998, recovered probe practice, morals and regularisation had "moved connected significantly" and had "directly resulted" successful caller guidance, the MRC said.

The enquiry study was commissioned successful effect to a documentary connected Channel 4 successful 1995 which raised concerns astir participants, including large women, being capable to consent to the experiments.

It was reported successful 1995 that astir 21 women were progressive successful the experimentation aft seeking aesculapian assistance from a metropolis GP for insignificant ailments.

The survey was carried retired owed to concerns of wide anaemia among Asian women and researchers suspected accepted South Asian diets were to blame.

Chapatis containing Iron-59 - an robust isotope with a gamma-beta emitter - were delivered to participants' homes.

They would aboriginal beryllium invited to a probe installation successful Oxfordshire to person their radiation levels assessed.

It was reported that the MRC said the survey proved that "Asian women should instrumentality other robust due to the fact that the robust successful the flour was insoluble".

She said a University of Warwick researcher was present seeking to place women affected, adding she was "deeply disturbed" they whitethorn person been targeted for probe successful 1969, "without being capable to springiness informed consent".

"I volition beryllium calling for a statement connected this arsenic soon arsenic imaginable aft Parliament returns successful September," she said, adding it had seemed "no travel up morbidity study" had been performed to look astatine the semipermanent aesculapian effects.

Ms Owatemi added it would beryllium followed by a afloat statutory enquiry into wherefore the proposal of the MRC study to place the women affected "was ne'er followed up".

"The issues were considered pursuing the broadcast of the documentary successful 1995 and an autarkic enquiry was established astatine that clip to analyse the questions raised," they added.