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Division of Biology and Medicine. Use of ~horiumX for skin Cancers. (UNCLASSIFIED) Investigators a t New York University are experimenting With *oriu.m x (disintegration product of thorium) which has been used for many pars in the treatment of cert;ain skin. conditions. this radioactive material t o the skin of man causes erythema and pigmen- , tation. The relative biological. effectiveness of t h e beta and garmna components of thorium X is manly times less than that of the alpha compnents, and it now appears that the observed effects are due to the alpha particle components. t,horium X can be incorporated for application might make it possible t o permit penetration into the skin, thus depositing t h e radioactive material below the surface. surface might be avoided i n this way, made t o determine suitable application methods. ZI certain cbncentrations, ,application of Selection of a suitable material in which The effects from alpha bombardment at the . Further explorations uill be Measure of Radium in Food and Water. (UNCLASSIFIED) A University of Rochester research group has made studies of the radium content in a limited number of comon foods, and i n water sources from which City 'tap water is used. It is a well-lcnom fact that radiu occurs in small amunts in water and certain foods. Since it i s known t h a t radium accumulates i n the skeletal tissues of the body, these s%udies are food and water constitute a health hazard. inportant in determining if ingest ims of small amounts of radium from Radium content was measured i n water sources of kl cities in the wells have .the highest concentrations of radium, although the Missisalso have relatively high radium levels. measured, only four showed concentrations more than 5 x ,,-Ig ckies of radium per milliliter. Measurenents of the tap wat r corresponding ' t o the four sources revealed a value of 0 - 1.7 x lo-'' curies of radium per milliliter, with the exception of yLter a t Joliet, Illinois, which ' neasured 58 x 10-16 curies of radium per milliliter. tent of foods ( L e o 3 powdered milk, fish, peas, barley, and beef) f e l l i n the range from 0.74 t o 6.5 x 10-15 curies of radium per gram of The test show that in general ground water from deep sippi, Ilissouri, and Allegheny rivers, three important water sources, . Of all the water s urccs
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permissible concentration of radium water f o r continuous use of b x 10per mini liter or curies per gram. Approximately the same value measmdin curies per gram would apply t o the total quantity of food concOmn foods used in the United States appear t o be well within the permissible limits f o r radium. Radiation Effects on Tobacco and Potato Plants, (UblCUSSIFIED) A species of tobacco was planted this year in the garmna field at Thus, it i s indicated from these studies t h a t tap water and the Brookhaven National Laboratory, a moderately high rate of spontaneous tumors. tumor-irduction rate at fairly high dosage rates (300 r/dag) was greatly increased over w e control l o t , not only in numbers of tumors per plznt but in size of the individual tumors. . tumor i n plants induced by gamma radiation, although radiation induced tumors have been recognized in animals f o r many years. Results show that irradiation produced In the gamma field, the This is the first report of a Experiments on the effect of radiation on the rrkeepingrrqualities of potatoes were completed by Brookhaven National Laboratory recently. ' A quantity of potstoes was secured.and divided into five lots,four of which were given various radiation doses and the f i f t h kept as a control. The potatoes later were all stored under conditions comparable t o standard potzto storage conditions, and samples were taken periodically from each lot and tested for taste and then graded according to standard potatolot was essentially spoiled, whereas those that had been exposed t o 20,000 r were still Grade A potatoes inall respects. t o about 50,000 r might be classed as Grade B potatoes, and those exTosed a t 80,000 r were also Grade E potatoes. What apparently happens is that, i n late spring, potatoes tend to sprout and these sprouts release an enzyme responsible f o r the breakdown of the starch. are inhibited by relatively small doses of radiation, and consequently the starch i s not broken down. A t the higher doses, apparently, there is enou&h cellular destruction to cause a general breakdown over along period of time, Whether these explanations are correct o r not is debatable, but there seems to be little doubt now that this is ared phenomenon, since it was observed last year @te accident my in concection with some other work, and the experjment this yea - ras designed specifically to prove this point. IJping of Blood Platelets, (UNCLASSIFIED) Discovery of groups and A t the final test period on August 15, the control types for blood platelets was announced recently by the New England shaped bodies found i n the blood of humans and all other mammals. Platelets are colorless,. disk-
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play a part in the blood-clotting mechanism, but are still not well other effects a reduction in the n-r of blood platelets fmm, in some instances, actual total cessation of platelets. In this connection, it is interesting t h a t animals have been protected from . lethal effects through transfusion of platelets &om the blood. ' Ionizing radiations to the entire boa produce among The platelets can now be typed and grouped, much -asred blood cells are before noma bloodtransfusions, however, between the platelet groups discovered and the fdiar. groups of red blood. cells. cant value in combatting such maladies as thrombocytopenic purpura, . a blood disease i n which bleeding occurs under 'the skin and internally. I n adults suffering from this type of hemorrhagic disease, the gkdual failure of repeated platelet traasfusions may be due t o ' in coq a tibi lit y of the donor's platelets With those of the patien%, A sidlar condition also occurs i n newborn babies and this may be due to platelet incompatibility between mother'and newborn child, i n " a way similar t o There is no correlation, Continued efforts may prove of signifiEffects of Prenatal X-irradiation on Mice.-In studies of the effect of radiation.on embrgos of mammals other organisms, it is nec es sm to observe changes induced 5n one o r more ' variable organs o r organ systems, I n research in progress a t O+ Ridge National Laboratorg, t h e vertebral column and thorax have been used as in dick or s of .radiation damage t o the developing mouse. The particular question being investigated is whether radi.ations cause general damage t o the enibryo a t any exposure time o r whether radiations came specific irradiated at stages of development coli.esponding t o ages of 1/2 day, 1-1/2 days, 2-1/2 dap, and s o on t o 13-1/2 days after conception. At birth the skeleton of each embryo was .studied i n detail. It vas found that each skeletal ab nod it y was, i n general, induced by radiation during only a short period of prenatal development and'was . obtained with high incidence uhen radiation was applied in that period. Tne rrc-ritica3. periods" for the characteristics studied fell between 6-1/2 and 13-1/2 days a f t e r conception, during which time irradiation produces very little mortality. tion resemble, but do not exactly coincide to, some of the abnormalities produced by previously identified mutant genes inthe mouse. ' - 'changes a t specific radiation susceptible times. Mice embryos were Disseminatioll of Weapons Test Information. A recent meeting was held with membem of. AEC, t h e Federal C i v i l Defense Administration. The discussions covered the trans-
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tests and associated projects under terms of the Joint d e f s of Staff Directive to the Armed Forces Special Weeons Project controlling such dissemination, The following decisions w e r e reached: (1)MSWF' agreed to &e available height of burst curves and new curves on neutron flux, previously withheld under the JCS directive, and to translate into more readily useable form transmittable' data; (2) the FCDA representatives concurred that no change i n the .JCS directive would be pressed, since it generally permitted the forwarding of most, if not all, of t h e data needed f o r civil defense planning, and that any problem arising in.this connection in the future could be discussed on a cae-to-case basis. Future. Test Programs. (UNCLASSDIED) Needs o f ,the Federal Civil Defense Administration f o r participation in possible future continental weapons t e s t programs were outlined in a recent info- meefing with FCDA Administrator and the Chainnan of the Cowoission and staff m@erS. PEC willingness to cooperate in all ways possible was &ressed by the Conmission Chairman, It was agreed t h a t specific FCDA proposd-s'would be submitted for consideration at a later date, a, Atthe request of the Federal Civil Defense Administration, design criteria for protective construction standards to be publicly. released as guidance t o federal agencies and the public in erecting structures i n o r near designated target areas have been reviewed by the Commission. FCDA has incorporated much o f the AEC material i n its proposed publication "Standards and Criteria f o r Protective'Constmctton - Class I Buildings" which is now undergoing classification review. b. The problem of providing shelters in Navy Department Bkeau of Ships installations a t Navy Yards w a s discussed with the Chief Design Engineer, Public Works, Bureau of Ships. Based on discussion of design criteria, materials, and probability of accomplishing objectives ofthe Navy, further study will be conducted by Bureau of'ships considering the construction of dual-purpose reinforced concrete buildings t o provide . the shelter required.