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BOX No. / ' Division of Biology and Medicine Biological Monitoring of Columbia River Salmon. (UNCLIISSUFIED) Biological monitoring is being continued a t Hanford Works, Washington of the effects on aquatic organisms of reactor effluents discharged i n the Columbia River. Data have been obtained on the dilution level of reactor effluents tolerated by salmon and on the effects of the effluents on p w t h and mortality by conducting experiments using various area effluents-mixtures of a l l industrial water discharged i n the Columbia River froma Reactor Area. The effluents are all mildly radioactive, have high temperatures, and contain chromates and chlorine which are toxic to aquatic organisms. dilution with river water w a s detelmined by percentages from previous latent effects since only slight effects were observAle at this level. Strength of the effluent The five per cent level was chosen for evaluation of Silver salmon eggs and young were subjected toa series of diluNo adverse effects were Ata 10 per cent level app red a bh Radiation received by the fish is estimated at not tions of reactor effluent for eleven months. observed at concentrations of 3.5 per cent o r less, but slight effects occurred a t the 5 per cent level. mortality occurred throughout the test, and growth was poor during the over 6 roentgens equivalent physical for t h e entire period, and adverse effects am attributed to unfavorable tenq?eratures and chemical toxiciAy. Fish from a control lot and from the lot subjected tothe5 per cent concentration were marked befom liberation t o the ocean and will be Studied for possible latent effects when they return as adult fish, Uptake of Fission Products in Plants. (UNCLASSIFIED) I n addition to data previously reported on t h e soil movements of radioactive strontium, yttrium, cesium, and iodine, and their biological effects on plants, studies have also been extended to determine the Wi uptake ~f these fission products. determinations of the rwcimum-qtake of strontium, yttrium, cesium,, and tration of strontium about 1.h times that in the soil, and a concentration of iodine about 3.8 times that in the soil. A t Hanford the barley plant was used in Investigations indicate that barley can accumulate a concenOnly slight amounts
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of yttrium and cesium are concentrated i n the plants. I n addition, experiments have been completed on a fifth element-- The absorption of ruthenium f r o m nutrient solution by Red 'ruthenium. YLdney Bean plants was studied as a function of the ruthenium concentration and of the'acidity of the solution (pH). that the uptake of ruthenium is dependent'upon, but not strictly proportional t o , the concentration of rathenium added to the nutrient culture, and t h e uptake efficiency increases as the acidity increases. Measurements of Radioactive Dust Particles. (UNCLIISSIFIED) The University of California at Los Angeles Atomic Energy Pro jed has developed an improved method for determination of particle size in prcblems involving such measurements and should facilitate their solurequired analysis of particle size by time-consuming and tedious microscopic observations. The new technique involves collection on membrane filters which are then dissolved i n an organic solvent. dust suspension is then analyzed turbidimetrically (in terms of l i g h t falling on a photocell after passing through the suspension), concentration of the dust i n the sample does not affed the results of dccuracy and reproductibility of r&ults. The method has direct application t o industrial hygiene Heretofore, the usual'llbethods of sampling airborne dust have The turbidimetric method gives good Radiation Instruments Program FOWIA Tripartite Conference on InstmmntatiPreliminary arrangements have been made between the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom t o hold a tripartite conference on instnmentation at Hamell, England, in May 19%. Chalk River, Ontario a meeting will be held by the planning cod tte e of representatives from AEX, Chalk River, and HarweU. t o establish an agenda for the conference. Items suggested i n preliminary discussions for the spring ccnfep ence are pile. instrumentation, chernical plant instmientation, transistors as applied t o nuclear instruments, problems i n radiation dosimetry, and new circuit techniques, Specific topics of a classified nature will be limited t o previously established Commission-approved item on instrumentation within t h e general areas of Health and Safety
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Civil Defense Activities Stmctures Test Planning and Screening Committee The seventh meetk of this Committee was held on for the purpose of'-(l) reviewing the status of the test repods from the Civil Effects tests of operation UPSEOT/KNO!I!HOLE; (2) t o discuss items previously proposed f o r testing but not hcluded i n the Spring 1953 series; and (3) to receive proposals from federal c i v i l agencies for future tests, To assist Committee members in planning and preparing for future tests, the Division of Military Application presented the current schedule of continental and overseas tests. It was emphasized thata series in the continental limits i n FSI 1954 was extremely unlikely, but that possibly a series would be conducted i n the Fall of The meeting indicated t h a t all agencies participating in the Civil Effects Group of UPSHOT/KNOTHOLE f e l t vdluable data had been obtained and that the tests were uniformly successful, Additional information is needed relative to probable behavior under aerial attack.of a group of items dedi%with water supply and piping, office buildings, hospitals, schools, ana residences. The incidence a d spread of fire, possible contaminstion of AEC plants through b l a s t pressures on ventila ting systems, and the probable necessity of developing data on . doors to group shelters were a l s o named as items needing additional study, possiblyleading to field tests, of Federal Agencies at the Seat of Government, participated i n discussions relative t o the dispersal A t the request of the Office of Defense Mobilization, of federal agencies performing essential functions a t the seat of government. Representatives also attended from the Federal Civil Defense Administration, Departanent of Defense, and the Central lished criteria relative t o dispersal distances from the zero milestone i n the District of Columbia t o new sites for buildings which house federal office personnel, and distances between dispersed sites. This group reviewed the criteria adopted i n 1952 and, in light of subsequent events, considered the adequacy of the criteria under present The purpose of the meeting was t o review estabBrief in p of FCDA Personnel. (lJkKLASSIFLED) The Commission held a classified briefing for the & pty Administrator ana six staff members of the Federal C i v i l Defense Administration on September 29. The presentation included information on the raw materials operation,
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production program, weapons program, and reactor program, section was given by a representative of the respective'divisions and followed the pattern of the briefing given t o t h e Administrator of FCDA and his top staff i n April, Transmittal of Weapons Test Informatioq, (UNCLASSIFIED) The cooperative arrangement between AEC and t h e Department of Defense (Armed Forces Special '2.Jea.ponsProject) under which infornation is transmitted to the Federal C i v i l Defense Administration on weapons ef3ects data is continukg, Earlier in the year, the Joint Chiefs of Staff issued a directive under which AFswp operates in providing classified weapons test information t o FCDA, recommended that discussions be held between the three agencies to determine future policy in this area. was given in a letter from the Chairman of the Commission to the Department of Defense (AFSWP) , and the Chief of the Civil Defense Liaison Branch was named as the Comnission representative, Concurrence of this proposal Instrument and Source Loans. (UlfCLASSIFZD) During the month, the follouing loans were made: Instruments - Delaware Civil Defense Organization Cobalt 60 Source - New Hampshire C i v i l Defense Organization, -This represents the first loan of a high intensity(5cdies) Cobalt 60 source to a State group for the purpose of calibrating their civil defense radiological detection instruments and is an extension of the cooperative SC-FCRA program to assist State and local. civil defense bodies in their training and operations. Conference on Administration of Research, (UNCWISSIFIED) The Seventh Annual Conference on Administration of Research was held on August 31, September 1 and 2, a t t h e University of California, Berkeley, California. These conferences which are not sponsored by any single organization, b u t are an outgrowth of mutual interests, include representatives from govemient, industry, and universities desirous t o exchange views and informatton on their problems and experiences i n the administration of research. meetings became apparent when a nunber of scientists involved in research assignments found that most of their time was spent i n Tne need for such . Reseaxh administration w a s recognized as
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a function apart from actual research and also presented difficult problems and obstacles t o research progress. have aided materially i n capitalizing upon the coUe&ive experience of others facing the sane problems. During the recent sessions, papers were presented fromthe vzrious groups, and open discussions were held on the problems preOverhead, Role of the Federal Govement i n Research, and Role of t h e The conference meetings