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Biology and Medicine RADIOBIOLOGICAL SukvEYS IN TBE PACIFIC (UNCLASSIFIED) I Preliminary results of some of the radiobiologi~alsurveys conducted in'the Paciflc.during the July-September quarter are given below. These surveys, some of which were still in prqres8 at the end of the quarter, were undertaken to monitor the radioactivity In the water and in . m&e organisms, resulting from Operation HARDTACK. The surveys were desc'ribed in detail in the Quarterly Progress Report, April-June 1958. Highly radioactive fallout was limited to the announced danger area. Radiation doses to members of the Joint Task Force were kept to a mlnimum, and there were no .serious radiation a _ _ Marine Radiobiological Surveys stricted area could be disestablished without hazard. A similar survey was condllcted Septem- . ber 3-12 in the area between Eniwetok and Guam,covering most of the western half of the restricted area and extending a considerable distance beyond ite western boundary. Sea water and plankton samples indicated that the .radioactivity levels were of the same order of magni- ' tude as those found in the post-REDWING survey in 1966. Further evaluation of the results was being made. tral Pacific and 2 locations in the Indian Ocean had been sent t o the Laboratory of Radiation Biology of the University of Washington for gross beta and gamma counts and analysis. Most of the tuna was caught in the area north of the equator, south of Japan, weet of the Entwetok test site, and east of the Philippines.. Counting of these samples revealed little radioacUVitY, most of which could be accounted for by the naturally occurring radioisotope potassium 40. However, at a later time and in limited areas, some tuna m a y acquire sbme radi duced by the HARDTACK test, probably by way of the food chain. SOIL SAMPLING AROUND THE NEXADA TEST tfiTE A radiobiological survey of the danger area conducted August 9-15 indicated that the reBy the end of September samples of tuna from about,lOO locations in the western and cen- . Following Operation PLUMBBOB (1957) soil samples-were collected for analysis for eab around the Nevada Test Site-(NTS) receidng some of the heablest
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result from such factors as weathering and low rainfall in these areas and from the fact that strontium 90 tends to form a smaller percentage of n e a r b fallout t@h predicted from tables of theoretical composition of mixed fission products. . Location (miUcuries per square mile) Cedar City, Utah 36.2 For compafiBon, values for some other locations in the United States are given below. It will be noted that the values for soils collected around NTS are not significantly different from the values for these other locations. Rapid City, South Dakota 31.7 ! ’ Rochester, New York . 27.9 Los Angeles, California . 8.3 (Values obtained from other locations were all within the range shown above.) About 30 scientists engaged in human radiobiologic studies attended a meeting at AEC headquarters in Septem,ber to advise on p-ng for large-scale studies of the effects of lowlevel environmental radiation on human populations. Effort was made to design investigative procedures for measuring general fitness and the effects that environmental radiation may .. have on fitness. Particular attention was given to leukemia induced by radiation and to the , effects of radiation at different altitudes. The first part of the meeting wa8 devoted to review of the status of studies dealing with “ready-made” human radiobiologic situations, such as those at Hiroshima and the Marshall,Islsuyds and those presented by accident cases, radium
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dial painters, miners of radioactive oms, therapy cases, and people who live in radim&e regions or drink water that is radioactive. The second part of the meeting was devoted to discussion of investigative procedures for more comprehensive studies. It was felt that &e. ever, that the undertaking of more comprehensive studies would present many difficulties . and that meaningful scientific information might not be derived from them. AERIAL RADIATION SURVEYS During the July-September quarter the U. S. Geological Survey conducted aerial radiation. surveys in the southwestern corner of Utah and adjoining territory in Nevada and h o n a to obtain data for use in a study concerned with external gamma radiation levels in and around certain communities. In addition firm plans were developed to extend the aerial m p r o 6 conducted in connection with fall 1958 weapons test activities at the Nevflda to include surveys of Mare bland, Livermore, and Berkeley reactor locations on Coast, and Brookhaven and New London on the East Coast. CIVIL EFFECTS ACTIVITIES ' 1 Radiation Surveys-Ne& T e b Site Area Aerial and ground radiation surveys were conducted at NTS in July and August of the experimental phase of the reactor testing activities at Jackass Flats and to p followup for fallout studies conducted dpring Operation PLUMBBOB. Under AE personnel of the Atomic Energy Project of the University of California at Loa Angelea made ground surveys, which included the collection of soll, plant, and animal samples in tke Jackass '-". were completed in early August. The UCLA personnel also conducted a plutonium 8urvey and .- a strontium and cesium survey in areas contaminated by yaet tests. (End of UNCLASSIFDED - Participation in Fall 1958 Weapons Te& fice of Civil and Defense Mob!lization participated in the weapons tests at NTS. Field work - included measurement of fallout by personnel of the UCLA Atomic Energy Project, wlth aerial . radiation monitoring by the U. S. Geological Survey. The air m e y capability was made O d l - able to the test site radiological safety organfiation for.onaite or offsite emergency assignmenta. A second project involved the continuation of studies of the angular distribution of . . prompt bomb radiation in the air &d studies of the shielding characteristics of light frame houses against prompt gamma and neutron radiation. This project, as in Opeation PLUMBBOB, was being performed by personnel from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In another Pmject, the effects of nuclear detonations on AEC teat structures in regions of high blast sure8 and prompt radiation were being studied. Mexico, continued botanical field studies initiated during Operation PLUMBBOB. -.In September, and continuing into,October, the AEC Civil Effects Test Group and the Of- .- Under an AEC research contract, personnel &om Highlands University of Las A meeting of the AEC Blast Biology Task Unit was held in'August at AlbuqUerqUe i d i r the chairmanship of Dr. C. S. White of the Lovelace Foundation. The task unit reriewed,the
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state of knowledge of blast biology, determined the priorities of needs for data, and was to make recommendations as to the field and laboktory experiments required to obtain these data. A similar meeting of the Thermal Biology Task Unit was held in Washington, D. C., in September under the chairmanship of Dr. Herman Pearse of the University of Rochester. Radiation Monitoring Instruments Plans were made for the evaluation of two prototype instruments combining a portable transistor radio and a radiation dose rate meter that lhve been developed for civilian use. Twenty-five instruments of each type will be distributed to AEC laboratories and selected field personnel f o r test and comment. EXPANSION OF RESEARCH - A comprehensive analysis and evaluation of.the biology and medicine research program . was completed during the quarter. This 'review 'mconducted in accordance with recommendations made during the 1957 hearings of the Joint Committee on "The Nature of Radioactive Fallout and Its Effects on Man" that the AEC's biomedical program be examined as to possible need for increased research effort in order to accelerate resolution of the problems of the I biological hazards of radiation and radioactive fallout. The testimony at the hearings brought out that t h e r e was a well balanced AEC-supported research pro* in biology ,and medicine . and that any proposed increase in research should not be a t the expense of long-term basic research by a diversion of effort to a multitude of short-lived programmatic research projects. AS a result of this review the Commissionapproved, for planning &-poses, a 5-year plan' for continued expansion of research in biology and medicine, emphsizing particularly the biological hazards of radiation associated with peaceful and military uses of atomic energy. Because of the health hazards associated with @ryllium handling, the Health and Safety Laboratory of the New York Operations Office (HASL) is continually studying beryllium operations and hazards in connection with AEC contractor activities in this fierd, as a part of its environmental health services and studies. __ Surveys of occupational exposure to beryllium dust at the new Beryllium Corporation plant at Hazelton, Pennsylvania, were conducted in January and May 1958. The M a y survey showed that all production employees were receiving five or more times the maximum'acceptable concentration. It was decided to shut down the refinery until major changes in equipment and operations could be made. ducted during the plant shakedown period, showed a large number of the 108 persons studied were being exposed to excessive concentrations of beryllium. HASL made recommendations for improving dust control. It. was decided that air concentrations were not sufficiently hazardous to warrant closing the plant, but that extensive plant modifications were needed to ensure satisfactory operations. tion of the AEC beryllium production plant at Luckey, 0.hio. Good progress had been.made in decontamination since the plant closed down in December 1957, but cleanup probably will not( be completed before May 1959. HASL will continue to advise the contractor on decontamination procedures and wi:l help perform periodic tests of certain equipment and buildings which have A similar survey of the new Brush Beryllium Company refinery at Elmore, Ohio, conIn July representatives of HASL and the Chicago Operations Office reviewed decontamina-
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BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE RADIOLOGICAL INCIDENT CENTER A Radiological Incident Center was established at AEC headquarters in Germantown to coordinate actions required in the event of a radiation incident. The center will be active only in the event of an incident of sufficient magnitude to warrant its utilization to coordinate headquarters responsibilities in such matters as public relations and Congressional notification, and to assist the responsible field office in obtaining help to cope with the incident. TRALNING AND EDUCATION Summer Institutes in Radiation Biology Negotiations were begun for the establishment of training courses in radiation biology for high school science teachers, to be held at 15 to 17 universities in the 6ummer of 1959. Simtlar summer institutes were held at 12 universities in 1958. These inStitUtf26 in radiation biology are supported by the AEC in cooperation with the National Science Foundation (NSF) under an arrangement whereby the AEC contracts W i t h the universities offering the courses and the NSF assists the teachers attending the institutes. In its over-all program for summer institutes for 1959 the NSF will support 300 institutes presenting courses in 6cience and mathe-