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TABLE OF CONTENTS Par. No. Page No.. Clinical & Public Health Programs (1) Public Law No. 703 (2) Public Law No. 354 (4) Further Delegation of (3) Public Law NO. 580 Report of 1 7 June 1942 1-6 Effects of Security 1-7 ' Special Arrangenents with Other Agencies b e Procurement & Assignment Service c. State Boards of Dental Exanhers d. State Boards o f Xedical Exaniners e. Universities, Medical Schools, SECTIOB 2 - HAZARDS OF OPERATIONS 2-1 , Normal Industrial Hazards 2- 2 Hazards of Radioactivity
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(1) Fluorine and Hydrogen (2) b tall ic Cadmium Tolerance Levels for the Various Hazardous b. Tolerance Levels f o r Various Types of. (1) Total Body Irradiation Radioactive Substances in A i r Material i n Body Tissues e. Tolerance Levels o f Radioactive f o Tolerance Levels in Air for
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Par. No. Page No. ( c ) Chlorofonn and Carbon Tetraihloride Methods and Instruments f o r Estimating (3) Vacuum Tube Electrometers d. Radioactive Dust Monitoring e. Urine and Breath Samples Instruments end Methods f o r Chemical SECTION 3 - INDUSTRIAL YIIEDICINE Scope of Activities Industrial Hygiene Laboratory Relationship to Other Health-Physics New Yo* Safety Committee Um niu m Processing & Speoial Chemicals b. Uranium Processing & Its Hazards
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(4) Preparation of Green (5) Preparation of Hexa (6) Preparation of Uranium (7) Medical Control of Hazards (8) IAetal Shaping; and Engineering of Uranium Processing c. Fluorine and Fluorocarbons de Boron Production
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Par. No. Page No. Research &? t h e Diffusion Process of Uranium Compounds Unit Assmblies f o r Diffusion 3-10 Gas Diffusion & Thermal Diff'usion Process 3.19 * Proce s se 6 and Hazards (1) Gas Diffusion Process (3) Them1Diff is ion Process (4) Hazards of Thennal Diffusion Hazards of Gas Diff'usion Process Medical Control of B zard s General Industrial Hygiene (3) Relationship t o the Safety Carbide 2~ Carbon Chemicals Corp. Ford, Bacon & Davis Coo/2)
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Ford, Bacon & Davis Co. Process and Hazards (3) .In brim Emi nations EQedical Control of Hazards Te minati on Examinati ons Sanitation & Public Health (1) Medical Division TEC The Pile Process ( 2 ) Metal Prooeasing and Shaping (2)letal Shaping and Processing (3) Operation of the Pile (4) Plutonium Ext bc tion and de Hazard Control
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Protective Pro ce dure s (a) Floor and Table Coverings (b) Protective Clothing Apparatus EvaJuation of Hazard Control mford Engineer Works (c) Relation of Industrial ldedical (b) Relationship tothe Safebj Occupati anal Medical Care Divi sion t o Operations Department of t h e Clinton (e) Organization and Facilities (a) Occupational and Non ( b ) Relationship t o the Safety Department of Metallurgical
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b. Hazards of Polonium Production C. Medical Control of Hazards 4.2 Clinical Medicine and Denti stry a t Oak Ridge * a. The Medical Program Type of Medical Service Rendered Prepayrnent Plan f o r Medical Care Policy Prior to V-J Day (f) Contract ofthe Association (g) Admin i strati on (h) Evaluation ofthe Oak Ridge
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(3) Iiodifications i n Plan- a. Diagnostic and Pro fe ssi -1 Probablp Arture of t h e (5) Emergency Disaster Program (1) Comnunity Dental Needs C. public Health Program b. The Dental Program 4-3 Clinical Medicine and Dentistry a t Henford (1) The Medical Program ( c ) Type of Medical Service (d) Industrial Medical Relations (2) The Dental Procram (3) Public Hedth Service (c)Type of Medical Semites (3) Public Health Program (4) Ehergancy Disaster Program SECTION 5 = EIOLOGIC AIiD HEALTH PHYSICS FESEARCH 5- 2 Purpose o f Research Program 5-3 Radiation Re search
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X-Ray and Gamma Radiation (3) Research Prop m Instituted (3) Research Program Instituted (5) Research Prograns Instituted (a) University of Chicago (d) Other Instrument Seotions Substances of Potential Chemical Toxicity (1) University of Chicago (3) University of Rochester Reports on Re search Activities a. Manhattan Dist riot Personnel bo University of Chicago d. University of Rochester f. National Cancer Institute
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This volume presentspa non-technics1 record of t h e id.storj- of The history coverst h e Ledical Frcgrm of the h hz ttan Ui strict. The data vsas obtained front he files of the iiedical Section, and frcwi those individuals who were asscciate3 with the Ledice1 Prograa dtlring its organization and development. Included i n the volume isa resurrie of all activities of the Ledical Section except thLse which concern Area Y. The he d icd Program a t &ea Y, althcugh under the supervision d Colonel Stafford L, 'idarren, Chief of the Kedicd. Section, i s described i n 3ook Kt11 of the Xznhattan 3is ir ict Sistory .
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1, Introduction. - It was the purpose of the ;anhattul District keciical Section t o supervise and a i vise on the nunzrous unique problems arising fror!, the rrocesses used in the District and to facilitate pc - press of the Project b j safeguzrding the health of the employees. Tne Medical Program covereti: plutonim, f is sic n prouucts, etc., on the hunlan organism; industrial hygierle, with apprcpriate program instituted in the verious plants and laboretories; and clinical a:,d public health programs, thepr - pose of whch xas t o supply auequate f dci li ties for the personal health of the comunities. Tile authorizations f o r the constructicn ind operaticn of the Ledical Facilities of tne kinhattan District wcre re3earch oil the effect of absorbed uraniuu, provided i n geiieral by Public Law No. '703, Public Law No. 354, h til ic i a ~No. SO, and he cut ive Crder lie. 9UOi. Specific authorizations were provided ina Report of' 1 7 June 1742 tothe President of the United under Executive Order iio. YGO1, and in a mnorandun dated 23 Septeslber 19&2 signed by the General Folicy Gmup designated by t h e President of tens ike d by the urgency of the need fur their solution since many of the mite rials to be studied were alrcadj. i n use a t least on a lhboratorg scale, and i n some instances Ln aplat scale. taining security was ais0 a uajor factor d fec ting the Llistrict's The problems f dc ing the E ed icd Section aere inThe necessity of =inAs a result,there was some difficulty in preventing
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duplication of effort, since interchange of information between related 'projects was restricted to the mhimurn required for intelligent conduct of the irldividual operations. To insure cooperztion ard t o maintain securit y regulations, special arrangements had t o be made with other aiencies, such a s the local Ledicr-l 2nd Dental societies,the Plocurement and k ssi pent Service, State Boaras o f Dental fiaiuiners, and State Boards of 2. Hazards of Operations. - Nornsl industrial hazards such as are noted in large construction program ana i n chemical plants were t o be expectei inthe operatioris of the Xanhattar, District. of t h e major problems Was t h e hazsras of radioactivity, which were known i n a general manner by the results published on the radiun dial painting alpha particles, or electrically charged nuclei of heliwv atoms; beta particles, which ere free electrons; gams rays and x-rays, vhich are not particulate but are electromagnetic waves; ard neutrons, or particles The radioactive eraanations which were encounterea were: which have no electric charge. Radioactive substances fro; which any o r all of these emanations might be expected =e: r&u, on which considerable data has been acc u dated ; radon, a gas produced whe? the radium atom disintegrates ; polonim, a decay product of radiun; plutonium, a product of neutmn borrbardment of uranium which is the basic x a teri zl oh which the District operates; and fission products, wisich consist of a series of radioactive substances produced inthe llpile"process. major problem was the cheidcal hazards, soffie of uifiich Fiere due to entirely
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new substances while others were weil known industrially.Cf the gases used o r produced, consiuerable care was exercised with fluorine and hydrogenfluoride, two very corrosive i & te rials ; and with phosgene, a by-proauct inthe production of uranium tetrachloride. which were produced o r used were the fluorocarbons, which are entirely new ccapounds, industrially, anti are nocierstely taxic; and such solvent nate riaLs as trichlorethylene. Zetals other than the radioactive tyye, which were enployed insufficient quantities to warrsnt notice as hazards, were: beryllium, cadrrium, and nickel. Because of t h e number and varied types of nate rials snd the great quantities i~molved, it was necessary toset tolerance values f crt ne various hazards. Definite 0 values for the aaximm allowable exposures t c ; the v a ~ o u sniaterials, both radioactive aid chenical, h2d t o be established to facilitate efficient over-all operatior,. Beta radiation, neutron rai ict ion, combined ga'imma and fast neutron radiation and x-ray orgau ~r adi ation tolerance levels, st zte die rm of total body radiation, and alpha rad h tic n tolerance levels, based upon the amount inthe body tissue, were established by the District Ledical Section. Tolerance concentrations for radioactive substances i n air, such as radon, polonium, pluto ri iu,f is sic n products and ur&ium ana its cofipouncis ;;'ere studied arid cstabiisned with factors of sdcth BS high as practicable. o;aterials useci could be absorbed into the bociy, to i er we levels Gf radioactive irate rial in body tissues viere established far radium, Since practically aU of tie hwi tissues for ra do active i zte rials,so an llidirect Eethod was
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This indirect method m c - z sita ted the establisiling cf tolerarice le ve is chenucai hazards. 13 or jer Lli c ; tthe various to lerm e levels would not 5: exceeded it vias necessarg! to iii st it ute aeti,ods and instrunefits for and instrulerits were aeyelopea iind ccristructed. For t h e 1l:easureAent of radioactive emmations, counter instrunierits, electro st stic ii.ciicetors aid the vac u u tube electrolneter were rdapteu or developed. Lonitoring methods which were devdoped t o Laintai:, supervisiofi over the various hazards included the use of mechanical delrices such 2s: film badges, peiicil cnarnbers, aca finger rings contsiniag x-ray film printing t o note destructive changes in the print ridges, and blood counts t o note deleterious changes inthe peripheral blood, were also used rather extensively. dust pre c ip it at or " was useu Lo de tem he the aruount of r dio active amunt of exposure experienced by the various c ploy ees. and Lethods for chenucal hazard m ni to ring were developed ::.here necessary, the mst important being those *for fluorine detection, phmgeiie Fhysi 0-liologicai rLetkods f o r n;onLtori..g, such as finger I n rzdiokctive dust Lonitmifig a device Urine a d breath samples xire used t o rrcnitor the
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detection, and solvent detection. of the District Ledical Section was foriiia t o aid h h & ttan District ccntractors i n establishing program of industrial hygiene appropriate for the peculiar hazards encountered. The scope of activities varied, depending upon tjpe of process used and t n e s of hazards present. An industrial hygiene laboratory was instituted at the University cf Rochester t o perform special and unusual andys$s nec2ssar:i t o coi:trol they eric us occupational hazards. other health-physics groups such cls ie tail uri ica i Laboratory a t the University of Chicc;go, Clinton Laboratories, etc.; and also icith the Mew York Safe tj Committee, a cod tte e formed by engineers of the Kellex Corporation assisted bja medical officer frou the Industrial supervision of Lt. (201. H. L. Fried e il but in b y 1943 this responsibil it y was transferred to bj or John &. Ferry. Close 1iais01-AXLS rnaintaiiied with The Industrial Leclical Ltivision was originally under the Uranium processi:,& and its hazards were concerns of the Industrial Ledical Division. Uranium wzs extracted froni the crude ore and worked i n t o various coiq;ounds such as black oxide, brown Process hazards, such as radiation exposure and chmLcal burns, were mininized by ncrmal industrial safe practices or, ahere necessarj', by special iuethods o r protective uevices, Inspections were ucie as fre - quently as necessary t o insure the safety of the a ploy ees at the various
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Fluorine and the fluorocarbons i n general were industrially new products snd processes, and studies of their hazzrds and ned icd control had t o be considered. exanination of workers and the use of adequaie ventilation &ici fire Protective measures included physical medical control, was also orre of the problem of the industrial hedical Boron production, with its attending hazards and exposures were unusual.. Since those processes nor mily were coriducted i n closed srsteus, , Protective cieasures consisted i n control of dust and fume concentrations, good hmsekesping aid physical examinations, on ihe 1in;ited numbers of people employed. Process research was per f one d by ud vers i ties or indus tri zl la5oratories selected t o do resesrch on covering a l l phases of the development of the i)rocess. t h e developniental research included the Kellex Corporation, S. A. li. Laboratories and t h e Linde Xessearch Laboratory. were those associated iYith uranium hexafluoride and t h e fluorGcarbons but these hazards were cae fu i ly supervised bx Isiedical control. mental research, on fluorocarbais, raciium extractiofi, and methods of manufacture of uranium canpounds, vias carried out i n various universities *and thkse installatioris were inspected and supervised i n respect t o rceciiczl hazards bj the industrial Liedicd Section. Research on the diffusion process had a wide scope on methods of ore analysis, .adt h e anslysis of vorious uranium compounds were carried out a t Aational hreau of Star.ciards, Frincetcn University and Us sz chu sett s ln st it ute of Technouqy. of process mter i al in general presented, with few exceptions, no hazards requirink medical supervision. The development ana production Earrier production presented
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pumps for the diffusion process produced the hazsras of handling ura niu hexafluoride, fluorine and the fluorocarbors. These last mentioned hazards viere also noted i n pi’ociuction of the unit asseublies for the diffusion process. The gas diffusion and thermal diff usi cn processes were located i n Oak Edge, Tennessee. These processes aid their hazards were of prime import ace to‘the Industrial kiedicai b vision. hazards of the gas diffusion process and the hazards of’the thermal diff hon process were pr ici an ly due t o uranium liexdluoride and its hydrolysis product, uraniw oxyfluuride, although numerous other hazards ivere also present. arid thermal diffusion was i n general based on an hcbstriai hygiene program developed around the Carbide aid Carbon Cheniicals Cdiyany performed: a pre-emplopient exauination t o deternine the physical cond it ion of the prospective employee, and interval ana teruination examinations t o de.l;errir,e whether any deleterious effects ,bd been Froduced could be kept, a program of monitoring was instituted, iilcluding air coat hc tion and radiation surveys, which aere made at frequent h ter va is. General industrial hygiene …
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