Progress Report to the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy - January Through May 1950 (Partial)

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Progress Report to thei Joint Committee on Atomic Energy JANUARY THROUGH MAY 19'10 By authority of the U. S. Atomlc Energy Comr UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSI JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATO

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The principal aspects of the Commission's progrzm of biClG&y and medicine to receive emphasis dur',r:g the next 1 2 moriths are: 1. Civil defense liaison activities,inch ding : the develop ment of radiation detect i cn in stm ents ; Studies to establish pe miss i ble levels of exposure and Studies of radiation injury ad long-tern effects of including the work of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission Training of health physicists in rz diz tion protection ; Study of the toxicity and metabolism of carbon 111 and Civil Eefense Liaison The Commission's program i n civil defense was outlined in testimony and statements submitted to the Joint ComAttee i n executive session, February 17, 1950, and i n t h e open hearing, March 17, 1950. significant phases of the progrm. since then i s described below. Instructor tra iE in & courses. The Radiclogical Monitoring Courses at Brookhaven National Lzborgtory, at the Atomic J3nergy Project,University of California at Los Angeles, and a t Oak Ridge, began i n March and April. There were 15 participants in the Brookhaven course, 12 at the University of California, and 2 1 at Oak Ridge. Similar courses will be given at two additional locations, Reed College, Port lzl d, Cregon, commencing i n June, and the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicagc, Illinois, beginning i n One-week courses in the Medical Aspects of Atomic Xarfare were held at seven locations during Karch,kpril, and Kay and had the fol1owir.g part ici patio a : I n stit u t iGn No. of students University of Rochester 1,tomic Energy Project Johns Hopkins University School of Eedicine Psgonne National Laboratory Tiestern Reserve University School of Kedicine

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Six projects for the development of simple, inexpensive ra diz tion detection instruments were being carried cjn b y instrument experts a t variNo. of stu dect s University of Utah School of Medicice 8 University of California at Los Angeles University of Alabama 8 Zmergency ra aiz tion control prograr,. Org aiz ation.ad training of tt.e emergeccy monitoring teams cmt in u ed under the jurisdiction of the ments tc the team was nearly cc.mpleted. was engaged i n assembling standard individual kits t6. be used by the four teams in that area. Operat.ior!s Office reviewed operating plans and manuals for their respective emergency radiation con tr cl programs. All mati on of stockpile ra diz tion detect i cn instmThe Hanford OPerztions Cffice The New York Operations Office and t h e Oak Ridge The third and last rep crt in the series t o be abstracted from the Yieapons Effect Handbcok was forwarded tothe National Security Resources Board on April It, 1950, forme in their civil defense planning program. the subject of this interim report.&/ Radiation " u tec tic n Instruments i s Radiation Detect i on In st me nt s I n January the Radiation Instruments Branch, Division of Biology a d Uedicine, was trvlsferred frcnn Oak Ridge to its present location at c ili tate general AEC-wide coordination in radiation detect i cn instrumentation and will ?emit closer work with the Bureau. Contacts were nade with 38 industrial concerns for the purpose of obtaining their ideas on the developaent of a simple, inexpensive rzdiological. safety instrument. As a result of these CGntacts, 27 proposals rv lg ing in cost from approximately $3,500 t o $SO,OOO each were received fe rent t pes of devices, are being reviewed and cunt r actual action on se-vera1 i s expected t o be initiated. These proposals, suggestinz the development of 9dif - 1. An ionization chamber instrument about the size of a photographic light meter was developed by the Oak Ridge Maticnal -'The report was transmitted tc the Joint Committee by letter,April 13,

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UNC LASS IFIED the end of the year. of existing metiods of water treat msn t and purification ta remov5 radioInitially,the Lave stig at ims will be on the ability A proposed Cokanbia Mver survey was agreed upon by the tl. S. physical, cheaical, and biological chara cte - is tics of the S ver as they relate t o Haiford plant operation and waste disposal before and aftsr fustudy i s expect& t o begin JuPj1 ah? last two years; the costs are to be borne by t h e Public Health Service. The survey will obtain information on the hydrological, Var ims surveys ivere initiated at the Reactor Testing Station, ainong them a met2orological survey by t h e U. S. Vieather Bureau m.d a g e 3 logical' study by the 3. S. Seo l sg ical Survey, and plans are being made for radioactive background studies. Pond and drainage basin at Oak Fiidge was begm in collaboration with "Vk. An ecological sarvey of the i'hite Oak Health Physics Training The second grwp of 2 1 fellows training in health physics at Oak fridge and the University or' Rochester will complete the regular courses i n SeptenSer, 1350. An addi2ional three fellows were offered a n opport - mit y to take broader train hg in radi a tim biophysics, and two are now studying at the V n ivers it y of Ume sota and one at the California In sti - tute of Technology. A s an extension o f this plan, the Advisory Cdt tee for Biology and Uedicine recamended t'aat the AEC establish approximately 20 fellowships for pre doctor d training in biophysics. After t h e National Research '2ouncil withdrew from adminis+,rafvi.m of the - GC p red oct xal fella x ship prograin, administration of a national program was m der taken by the aaic Ridge In st it ate of Nuclear Studies. Arrangpments were in st it n ted with Varilderbilt University for its part ici - pati on iq the Ca k Fidge part of the progran. Graduate credit is offered for course work at both training centers (3ochester-Bmokhaven and Cak Ridge-Yarderbilt), and provision i s made for selected fellows t o take mascants, 40 fell ov ships were awarded by the Fellowship Cod tte e, coaposed of representatives from Rochester and Vanderbilt Universities,GAS d ge National Laboratory, Cak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies, and the AEC. This group will begin their training in the Fall of 1950. Cancer Research Plans aqd Facilities Argonne Cancer Research Hom it al. The contract Setwzen the Uni - vers it y of Chicago and the Atomic Energy Zod s sion for operation of the krgonne Cancer Research Hospital and the contract for the lease of the pr3per ty to %he Sn ivers l ty of Chicago were signed. Bids for construction of the Hospital are nm being taken and an award is s ched ded for June.

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Oak Ridge cancer research unit. Construction of the caricer wing at the Oak Ridge Hospital was conpleted, and the unit was equipped and ready to receive patients at. the end of May. cer research activities nas established and includes anong other studies the fol lu wing : A plan for the initial can1. The use of radiogallium in the treatment of experimental The properties of radioruthenium in the treatment of 3. The use of radiomanganese in the treatment of thyroid &. Ths action of antimony com9ounds i n cancer by radio tracer teoiniques; and 5 . The developmeat and design of a tele cobalt therapy Unit t o use a thousand curie source when this becomes available. The project is being carried on in con jun c tim with the Post-Graduate School of Medicine, t h e UniveTsity of Texas, and t h e M. D. Anderson Hospital f o r cancer research. Research Proposals Approved A list of the research proposals aFproved bjj the Division of (End of UNCLASSIFIED section.) Siology and Eedicine during t h e period January through April, 1950, is

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Table 1. - COSTS INCURRED - BY PROGRAMS Source & Fissionable Materials $108.7 $23.5 $36.0 $24.9 $84.4 Biology and Medicine Program Direction and Changes in Undistributed Plant and Equipment and Equipment Programs PLANT AND EQUIP m (*) Detail'maynot add to total due to rounding.

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Table 2. - COSTS INCURRED - BY OPERATIONS OFFICES Plant and Equipment PLANT AND EQUIPMENT and Equipment Programs $631.5 $126.6 $148.3 (*) Detail may not add to total due t o rounding.

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PHYSICAL RESEARCH PROPOSALS APPROVED BY THE DIVISION OF RESEARCH, JANUARY THRU APRIL, 1950 Institution, investigator, subject of research, and estimated annual cost American Smelting and Refining Co. Carnegie Institute of Technology program with 450 Mev synchroCarnegie Institute of Technology cal research with 35-inch solid metals and alloys - $27,000 Structure of fluocarbons and Illinois Institute of Technology chemistry and chemistry of acids of hydrogen fluoride system - Illinois Institute of Technology chemistry of ozone - $11,900 Illinois Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Use of thenoyltrifluroacetate Northwestern University (Fred Basolo reactions of inorganic complexes - (*) Represents continued support by AEC, heretofore supported jointly

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- Solution chemistry of ruthenium in lower valence states -.$7,500 nation compounds and related Pittsburgh, University of (Harry Freiser) - Organic reagents for Marshak) - Nuclear research with Wichita, University of (Luther ment of surface area of Blaedel) - High frequency and Louis Meites) - Polargraphic Note: Each of the above projects is for Unclassified work. (*) Represents continued support by AEC, heretofore supported jointly

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izing radiation on electrolyte and water metabolism - $47,174 methods and instruments to improve the localization of radioactive materials in the body; with special reference to the diagnosis of brain Minnesota, University of (Dr. Samuel Schwartz) - Synthesis of hemoglobin in bone marrow and maturation and multiplication Minnesota, University of (Dr.C. radiation and chemically induced bone marrow injury upon Montefiore Hospital, New York City and Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn (Drs. Danlal Lazzio ship of stable and radioactive lanthanum to nucleic acid synthesis in normal and neoplastic New England Deaconess Hospital, Scientific Advisor) - Acute radiation injury - $15,400 plus New York University - Bellevue duced by low voltage roentgen North Carolina, University of Berkut) - Tracer studies and irradiation in dental metabolism - North Carolina, University of (Dr. Arthur Roe) - Carbon 14 research - North Carolina, University of (Drs. bution and retention of beryllium Bellows) - Studies on radiation Morton) - Fhysical and medical principles in the therapeutic use of radiocobalt 60 - $25,000 fication of flavonoid pigments of use in the control of radiStudies on metabolism - Pittsburgh, University of (Drs. Effects of neutrons from a cyclotron on mamals, with particular reference to the development of Rice Institute, Houston, Texas of the influence of adrenocortical and other hormones on electro-

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Burch) - Study of the turnover Tennessee, University of (Drs. The uptake of radioactive sulfur by the lungs of mice infected with swine influenza - Tennessee, University of (Dr. Determination of the effects of anoxia on the thyroid gland (b) Study of the metabolism of tissues during normal metabolism, in tissues undergoing repair and in radiation tumor - E. Sprunt) - Study of the use of radioactive ruthenium in the treatment of superficial lesions Vorwald) - The influence of cortisone upon chronic inflammatory - disease of the lung - Tufts College, Medford, Mass. effect of radiations on reactions associated with rate of chlorine under controlled dietary and therapeutic conditions in patients with congestive heart failure and in control subjects - Utah, University of - Basic training course of physicians, nurses, and dentists on the medical aspects of atomic Wake Forest College - Bowman and turnover of sodium and Wake Forest College - Bowman Gray School of Med. (Dr. Camillo Artom) - Formation of Wake Forest College - Bowman Cayer) - Toxicity of radiation as related to previous damage and the functional capacity of an organ; the effect of P32 and X-rays on liver and marrow - (*) Renewal of project. gamma ray as a therapeutic agent

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gations of electrolyte balance and thyroid metabolism - $8,320 of nucleic acids, nucleotides and related organic phosphorus comWorcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, Inc., Shrewsbury, Pincus) - An investigation of the effects of radiation on the biosynthesis and metabolism of Battelle Memorial Institute (Dr. active indicators in the study of the mode of action of Chemical activities of plants California, University of (Drs. Roy Overstreet and Louis Jacobson) - The mechanisms of ion absorption by plants - of radioactive drug compounds - Connectieut Agricultural Experiment disease by nuclear radiations - Isolation and properties of rat liver nuclei; Shell formation in mollusks as studied by radioInvestigation of enzymatic degradation of native and chemically Schoenborn) - The production of mutant strains of euglenoid flagellates and their use in the study of carbon dioxide fixation (*) Renewal of project. The chemistry of biosynthesized isotopically labeled cellulose and allied polysaccarides - $15,500 Metabolism of vitamins and their interrelationships with amino

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- The content in human tissues of eleven trace minerals - Cowen and Janice Stadler) - A quantitative study of lifetime sickness and mortality and progeny effects resulting from exposure of animals to $293,910 plus overhead ( 2 years) Studies on the metabolism of purine and pyrimidine bases on nucleic acids and Johns Hopkins University (Drs. through the use of supplemental environmental factors of the frequency of gene and chromosome changes induzed by and nitrogen mustard - Long Island Biological Associmental populations exposed to (*) Renewal of project. pounds in lactating rumitritional factors which alter the effective half-lives and differential absorption ratios of calcium, manganese, and cobalt in the animal body - Minnesota, University of (Dr. of radioactive substances on plant pathogens and other North Carolina, University of seed irradiation project - Ohio Agricultural Experimental Physiology and genetics of Pennsylvania, University of (Dr. isotopic carbon compounds used Pittsburgh, University of (Drs. Correlation of radiation effects with physical and chemical changes in viruses - $12,900

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Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn influencing the solubility of heavy metal complexes and their comparative biochemistry of molecular hydrogen: I The physiology of hydrogen bacteria - Distribution and accumulation of radioisotopes of physiological importance in shellfish - Southern California, University of radiation on intestinal absorption and metabolism of fats oxygen tension on the frequency of X-ray induced mutations and chromosome aberrations in drosophilia - $5,065 plus overhead ionic imbalance and cellular membrane permeability to Na and K in adrenal insufficiency, malaria, and associated patho- (*) Renewal of project. the effects of radioactive.iodine on patients with carcinoma of the thyroid and with hyperplastic Utah State Agricultural College radio iron in studying lime-inWashington, State College of (Dr. ment of ions into and through plant parenchyma tissue as affected by rate of water uptake - Biological nitrogen fixation w-ith organic acids in higher plants system of animal tissue - $29,400 of intermittant radiations on use of isotopes to ascertain the role of root-grafting in the translocation of water, nutrients among forest trees - $8,748

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Howard University - Washington, Studies with …