Minutes of the 58TH Meeting of AEC Advisory Committee on Biology and Medicine Held at Brookhaven National Lab November 16 and 17, 1956

Page 1

OFFICIAL USE ONLY 712145 PLACE : Brookhaven National Laboratory DATE: November 16 and 17, 1956

Page 2

The fifty-eighth meetir: of the Advisory Committee forBid o gy and Medicine was held a t the Brookhaven Mational Laboratory on Yovember 16 and 17, 1956. The meeting proper held on September 22 was preceded on the 21st by a presentation of the Brookhaven scientific programs i n biology, medicine, instrumentation and The details of the Brookhaven program . Abstracts of the papers presented and important com nts or questions raised by Committee members are on file. The Laboratory Director, Dr. Leland J, Haworth presented an after-dinner t a l k on tAe subject of cooperation i n research as it is applied by the Brookhaven National Laboratory and i t s

Page 3

On November 17 the Ck it tee meeting convened a t 9:OO a.m. with Dr. G. Fail la presiding. The following persons were present: Dr. Shields Warren, Vice Chairman Dr. Simeon T. Cant ril STAFF, DIVISION OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE Dr. Harry D. Bruner Miss Kathryn Weichold Mr. Merril Eisenbud, NYOO Dr. S I Allan Lough, NYOO W e Emery L. Van Horn, Brookhaven Area STAFF, BROOKHAYEN NATIONAL IDORATORY

Page 4

The meeting was turned Over by the Chainnan t o Dr. Dunham f o r the presentation of the progress report of the Division of Biology and c6Vering the surveys done of the Marshall Island natives after the DR. DUNHAM reported on the activity for the past two months which included many international visitors and slso the problem of strontium i n many inquiries on the subJect. briefly the current routine activities of Dr. Dunning DBM CuRRElOc i n cooperation with AFswp group and the Ssndia ACTIVITIES group on the plutonium problem and a l s o the northern and southern hemispheric monitoring. is planned i n the near iutuFe on the short-tepa effects of fallout. m. reported on the recent bi medical program Mrectors' meeting a t Idaho Falls and the particular interest in the implementation of the new radiation ' The recent political campaign had resulted He also reviewed An attempt is being made t o correlate the American (gummed paper) method of collecting fallout with that of the British (rainoff The Weapons Effects Handbook which is about ready t o go t o press is being held up i n the consideration of a chapter on long-term Dr. Western and Dr. Dunham. In addition there YBS a substantial contribution t o the next Semi-annual Report t o Congress which is being prepared. Dr. Claw and Dr. Albbrt have had the primary This i s being prepared by Dr. Libby assisted by DR. FAILIA warned of the tendency to relate occupational dose t o the very low doses reported by certain groups such as a t the Hsnford Works and the Oak Ridge Xational Laboratory which a r e not representative of the whole program. * "Same Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Human Beings", edited by

Page 5

There f oll med a considerakh discussion of the relationship between the ICRP and NAS rec mend at xn of 50 rin ten years and the working level of 5 P per year as a target. payzhologfcal and legal considerations i n removing a worker from his occupation after having received his max4awn reconmended dose limit was considered. The importance of considering this a target level rather thnan absoltlte limit was discussed. It was DEI, GLASS'S opinion t h a t the practical problems involved should be presented t o the NAS Committee. ICFP AND NAS DR. DUNHAM spoke briefly of the ABCC. buk Will return soon. Dr. Keith Cannon is i n Japan He called attention t o the recent commendation given t o lWse Montgomery, Mr. Van Horn and Mr. Clarke for their outstanding performance. unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the copy of the resolution has been sent t o each of visit of Dr. Plough and Dr- Stern t o Japan during the Summer and their audience with the Emperor. I n t h i s connection DR. GLASS spoke of the favorable DMB CURRENT Commission ' 8 action and expressing pleasure a (A (contintied) the recipientse) DR. DUNHAM spoke a l s o of the reaction t o the presence of fifty Americans a t the Tokyo conference and expressed the opinion that the funds were w e l l spent i n sending DR. DUNHAM reported on the 202 hearing coming up during which the Commission will report t o Congress on the industrial exploitation of atomic energy. connection with the safety program. the establishment of the International Atomic Energy AgenFy, the special reactor hazards study being carried out a t BI'?L with the EiASLe Mention wa6 made of Mr. Eisenbud's t a l k given on November 1 5 a t the Washington Academy of Sciences. DR. PEARSON has been invited by the State Department t o represent the United States a t the coming meeting ?f the Food and Agricultural Organization i n Holland. This will involve considerable staff work i n DR. DUNHAM also reviewed briefly

Page 6

1958 but presents immediate problems because of the pressure among contractors for increases in salaries as w e l l 8s DBM BUDGET DR. WARREN emphrsized the need for m c h of the research infomation now,8nd asked if the ACBM could offer any assist m ce in the way of a strtement or resolution i n order t o avoid losing seven or eight months In the research progrun through delayed of a resolution as follows: F’wther discussion of this resulted i n the preparation The ACBM reviewed with the staff of the Division of Biology and Medicine not only the Division’s traditional duties, but 8180 those many special additional responsibilities demanded by the present situation o t envis8ged eighteen months rgo when the present personnel ceiling 8nd budget were present circumstances, the Mvision cannot continue t o deliver the present high standard of guidance of herlth policies 8nd the provision of factual data wlthout immediate reinforcement. The Committee believes that under We note with satisfaction thrt this situ8tion bas been recognized for FiscaL Ye8r 1958 and that in the last few drys additional funds h8ve been as t o funds, personnel 8nd spce, has been rendered acute by the emergent demands placed on the Division by its crucial role in determining the long-range effects of radioactive fallout Emver, the present situation The immediacy of these requests requires action

Page 7

available Snfonnation on internal radiation exposure such as that received by individuals having received radium therapeutically or incidedtally. This matter had been a subject of a letter from Dr. Libby in which he suggeoted that Ds, Bird Hastings o r There w a s considerable dirscussion of the great need for such d a t s which are available fram many sourcese The work being done by Mrinellf was discussed and the need for an expanded program of this type was agseed upon., DR. BUGHER discussed the various means of ascum&i%%ngdata inch ding the work being done by Marinelli, the Los Alamoa groupj the Binford group and Dr. Robley Evans of MIT and pointed out the fund of i n - form tion would be very valuable i n reevaluating the permissible DR. WARRF;m reviewed the statua of the UN Scientific Camittee on the Effects of Atomic RadiatfQD which has a liveby interest in this problem and is working on a compilation. but in relation t o the multiple other interests of the Committee. .DR. WmN agreed that someone should be given the responsibility for .,assembling the available data f o r the ACBM but suggested that the selection of the few logical choices would result in the interruption of a vital program. in the field but with the background and ability to appreciate it would be a better choice, would probably be to call a meeting of Eiaenbud, BrwsPM arine22 a36 Hursh t o review the problem and t h e n decide the quickest and most be a n appropriate choice. out by DR. DUNHAM b u t he said t h a t there would Be no answer frum this source for fifteen years. This i s not, however, on a crash basis He suggested that someone not actually working DR, DUNHAM suggested tbt the first atep The long-tern project at Utah was pointed The Chairman then called upon DR. WARREN to review the second meeting of the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation. DR. WA-EN suggested that the meeting started under auspicious circumstaacee but deteriorated rapidly. The most important activities had been the establishUNITED NATIOBS ment of a continuing secretariat and staff. He SCIEmTIFIC COMMITTEE poin3ed out some of the continued Ruegian deemphasfa ON THE EFFECTS OF on genetic effects and an emphasis on neuropbysiologATOMIC RADIA!L'ION i c a l mechanismso He spok2 of the spoctaneouo motion of approval of the UoSo contributfon. been a n extensive discumion of the genetic problem and the recent United Statets and Brit.feh report3 but all of the delegates concluded that while the

Page 8

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE impractical. He spoke o f the project being ON TIB EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RAD WI ON x-ray dose through the ICRP. The final report recommendations were desirable they were also initiated to look into the recording of medical of tke Cornittee is expected by July 1,-1958. impressions becuasc of his activities during-the meeting. MR. EISENBUD commented on reports of very high radiation backgrounds in India and Brazil and a l s o of the interest in the accumulation of data on the disposal of radioactive wastes i n the Ocean. to a ccw date records on thz Industrial wastes but t o ignore fallout from weapons test ao the high Brazilian and Indian exposures and numbers of people inBrazil and four million fa Irtdia subject t o high radiation levels. divided between those of the fishing population living on river lhnks and deltas where the monazite sand occurs and others living "further inland and occupsng the farming regions. offer sound controls between two entirely different soil backgrounds. A lengthy discussion follared i n whichmany suggestions were made 1 f o r obtaining more data on these exposures. .ever, i n that the countries concerned w o u yrobably resent any aggressiveness on the part of the United States t o assrist i n obtaining the training of native scientists. A UN Scientific Cornittee resolution was passed DR. FALLLA asked for some of the details about It appears asif there are hundreds of thousands i n said that the Indian groups are quite clearly DR. WARREH suggests that we can be of the greatest help i n DR. FAILLA discussed the request by the United ITations f o r the ICRP t o study the recording of x-ray exposures and that a first report would be made I n April, 1958 a t the next UTI Scientific Committee meeting. DR. GLASS pointed out that a t the radioiodine conference i n Chicago, the recent estfmate by the IUS Committee on exposure received during thyroid treatment was found t o be incorrect a s fixa s genetic effects are concerned because of the fact that most such radio-iodine patients are not treated unless they are atleast forty Laughlin would probably be very small. DR. FAILLA said that Laugh lin and Pullman were increasing their estimste t o about 5 P but that the real value would not be known for some tine. This contribution t o the 3 r estimated by Pullman and

Page 9

on tho genetics study on Japanese chfldrsn, He distributed 8 churt which was discussed. DR. GLASS raised some questions about the statistics and suggested slight modificrtione. After a considerable discussion of the repoht of Nee1 and Schull and the inconcluslvenese of their study, It MB agreed t o avoid misleading statements discussed i n the forthcoming Semi-annual Report, the exact wording is important since the report hP8 such widespread distribution and because of the current UrJ Sc is nti fic Committee consideration or DR. GLASS expressed strong opposition tomy sunnnrry OF about the conclusions. Since this report I8 being o r conclusion in the Semi-annual Repost with the emphasis th8t Dr. Heel had given t o it regarding the lack of genetic effect rl th out any compensating considerationso initial 8- use the exact words followed by the statement that: "30wever, the staff of the Division of Biology and Medicine feels ~ en ten c ebut avoid detailed dlscuasion. A further discussion I fdLlowcd t o which the matter of whether any off ici81 statement by 'the AEC had yet been made regarding the genetic e f f e c t of the la dh tion from the bombe. AEC had not made any conclusive statements. ag8in.t making any statement that the newspaper8 could pick up as 8 Mtter of disagseement between the AEC and a scientific report. DR. GLASS expressed concern about gutting any statement i n the Semi-annual Report that would increase publfc apprehension further, It M S the general concentnu that the DR. UARREIQ expressed the opinion that it would be improper for th? AEC t o put interpretations on the work of a comptent investigator, F'urther discussion concluded in the suggestion that BoEherson visit Ann Arbor t o obtain some agreement with Dro Nc!el. DR. INEXINQ was then asked t o present his report on radioactive con.tamination of Pacific areas, the outline 0% which appears as by Dr. Conard who had actively p&u%ic%pted i n 5% study), Dr. Dugham asked for any comments from tlx Colmnittee concerning the rean of the native8 t o was pointed out and the advantages of returning them t o their homes presested as a factor which should be balenced against the possible radiation hazard i n their return. It had been suggested by Dr. Conard that they be permitted to r e t u r n in April or May, 1958. Further d i 8 C W 8 1 0 1 1 followed as t o means of continuing the monitoring of these natives and also those from the Island of TT+.arsfor OF Rongelap, The current low morale of the natives

Page 10

opinion that he believed that the benefit of returning then is inclined t o outweigh the danger and that it would be unrealistic t o base conclusions on the dose level8 intended for a large population to this relatively small group, even though it is an entire populationo DR, FAILLA pointed out that It vas agreed that because of the already the IC RP limit of 0.5 F pes year is no$ intended t o be the limit fora large populationo relatively high exposure t o which these natives had already been subjected, limiting their exposure i n terns from now on was unrealistic ; but on the other hand, the psychological effect of pesmittlng them to receive more radiation than o mom pmsl-e, could be subject to critic bm.A further discussion …