Radioactive Waste Problems, Biology and Medicine

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1. What Are Radioactive tkstes? a. Radioactive vestes mkv be components o f gas, liquid, or soll6s which throush exposure t o the various tries of ion iz ix raciation have e-cquired redioactivity. In the process of manufacturinl: plutonium o r i n the separation of uranium isotcges mi. i n certcin other atomic energy activities, air o r water may be used for cooling purposes and i n such use sGbstcmces i n the air or water m y be made radioactive. In certain chemical processes where radioactive nate rials are processed the liquid residces ~ q vbe rather highly radioactive! Fatal containers, pipe, vents ai12 other equipment may become radioactive when mdioactive natgrials ?-re handlea over a period of time. materiels serve as tools or in hoss it als where radioactive materials are iltilizod for therapy purposes, diEcharges from the laboratory or ho q it als h2c.y contain a, Thore are a number of different levels of radioduction plants mqy be hizhly active zad contain, rmong livcd isotwies ~ n dat a Tery l o v lcvols of activity. They may bo divided roughly into two iladioactivc wastos from reactors or p-0-

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only t o usors who havo a do q utc moas for thc safc disposal of In almost all oxpcrimontal work, cxccpting i n spccializcd cascs, rcsccrch i s carricd out at rc lat iv c ly lotr lcvels of activity. Vasto products from such activity are, thwoforc, for thc most p e r t , vcry low ryld discharged undcr conditions providing high 3. What Do Radioactive Wastes DO? a. Radiw.ctivo matorials diechargcd from stacks of rcactors undorgo vory high dilution in the atnosphorc, undcr usual conditions. Undcr unusupJ. atnoaphoric conditions radioectivo gasoous wastos iaight rapidly fall toths gro-md i n whic!l wsc thcy Would bo dopositod on plants an8 s o i l . 'Phcg may bo pickcd up from tho soil by al ants ZIopositcd inthc vegotativo abovc-Zqound portions and cithor bo consumod by animls for food or fall to thc surfnco o f tho ground i n tho forin of lo# littcr. tion i s consumcd by animals tho cffccts physiolcgicclly spo,?king aro Bopondcllt upon tho particulax mctcrial involvcd. topcs of thc samo substancos and p m s through thc animal at a spocd dc2oodiry upon tho mato rial involvcd. a lnrgo portion of it would bo absorbcO by tho t-hyroid @end. cortain othor instancos thc mntorial rould bo Oqositcd i n tho 'bono o r i n ccrtnin othor orghns dcpcnding ugon the pmticulrzr subIn the casc of rrdioiodino, b. Liquid wirstos which find t h c i r iwy into tho strcLws my bc absorbcd by nlgac or othar micrcorgmisms m d i n turn bo ccnsuncd by f i s h or othcr watcr in:-c,biting c.nimr.ls. in such mimnls is along th: s:m.z linos outlincd ebow f o r cont minet ed vazo tat i on. C. Whon solids such 2-8 cou ip cnt bccomc rndioncsivc t-o a point vhcro thoir further nse i s ihngorous too px at i ag pcrsomol

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consignc t o c. burial nroc.. Tho burial of such wnstcs doos not soom t o offor m y scrious prcblcm i n that vcry approcinblo loaching of radionctivo matorials from such wasto i s 4. k t Is Boiw Dono To KWD &.dioactivo Wr?stos A t Safc Lovols? a. Wi o act ivo matorials undorgo n constmt dccay. A vcry high proportion of tho radioactivity of contminatcd air disatmosphoro sorvos as e. bvlwork of protcction rgainst C W sorious d-magos from rndioctctivo gasos. of rdi cacti vc liquid waston. of hours in rotation farms during which timc a hxgo proportion of radioactivity is lost through normP.1 docw. such wc.tcr Into public strom s is ccrofully roSl?.tcd so tbt tho tot & amount of radio cc t iv it y pcrmittcd t o flow out i s hold at lovols boliovod t o bo harmloss. that liquid wnstos from hborp-torios ond hospitals by thoir nhturc of low initial activity nnd by virtuo of high dilution obtainod litt lo or no problom. Tha rato of docay plus tho high dilution i n norm1 Thc smo principlc holds truc Wr.tors uacd f o r cooling purposos It hF.8 elrondy boon montionod What Aro Wo Doiw About Vasto Diemsalt a. Regular survoys of thc air r?nd-W.tcr comily from tho roactors arc carriod on hourly or daily depcnding upon tho nood. Thoro isR continual monitoring of liquid wp.stcs, including tho stronms into which such liquid wnstos r3ro discharged. in stroans i s carriod out mcthodicnlly. C. Snmplos of underground wators usod for biding pur pos ~ s which- _might bocomo contminntsd from liquid onstas aro w.do at

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d. All laboratorics i n CiJEjunction vrith pilo rcnctors m d ~r?scouswastcs from thosc piics. c. Continuing studics a r c bcing carricd out on thc vcgctr, tion ir! tho vicinity of tho pilcs. rd ioc ct iv cma to rials on flora imC: fauna, cctivcly conductod on thc cffccts of radiotctivc vastcs discllargcd oii tilo microorpaisms co qr is ii lg thc slim of scwilgc ducts. j. Tnroupyh rcsewch contrficts studios cro bci% conducted on tic ability of n1p.o ;.nr?. othcr microorg2aislils t o conccntratc r"iltors, chomicp.1 treatciont, ionization cad biologichl mcthods, a 1z. Tmoqh rCsC?,TCh coiitrncts cxncrililcnts m c beinz carried timin thc offccts of such +,ror,tmc;lt m tha offspring mcl futuro

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m r Throtgh rosoarch contrects, of forts nrc being n?dc t o dotormino the offcctivoncss of cortnin soils for tho tying rxp of radionctivc liquid wr.stos. on tho novomcnt of c crt a in rc?dionctivc matcricls in soils,thcir uptcko by diffcront spocioe of pl r nts,thoir locnlizntion by thoso plmts pnd tho offectivoncss of ccrtr.in pkat spocics t o concontmto mdionctivo matorif!ls cad thus servo ns dccontminators. Studios c.rc clso bcing. conducted n, 3?hrcugh ccopcrotion of thc Public Health Scrvicc wo n r o dovcloping R progrcn whcrcby Public Hcnlth Sorvice pcrsonncl m y bo fan ili rr izod with tho nothods of to sting public wntors Pnd of 0. Wo nro cooporating with thc Dopvtmont of In t cri or in life including fish, oystors, cL-ws rad othcr wctar mim.ls.

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1. The us0 of rtadiozctivo isotcocs h m &forclod a new and tionships. 3y neems of tpg.;cd isotopos itis now possible t o plant use2 for food b y EIM or minds ; 2. T h research with rndioisoto2cs i s Ccsii;ncd tr, lcad t o tho of tho fato of chomicde qp li cd to the soil. Exporincnts carried out during 1947. m d 1948 shw th.t P 32 (r4ion ct iv c phosphorus) i s very v.nlw.blc i n nccsuring the util izz tion of varicjus phosph-.tc fc rti liz crs. fc z ti liz cr, .?xc f z ctor s in rlctcrnir,; t h oxtcnt t o wkici; it will So t&on up ig tho phat. investigations, i t should be pos sib h to dctcrninc thc psrt played by ..' nvail?.bility of aut ric nts in the 6011 o r p-ppliod as fc rti liz or s dotcrmince t o n largo oxtcnt thc growth of ylnnts, t h i s phnoc of the work i s importaiit froti thc over-all cfficionc;- of food productlax. projoct ?,?a 1c)cztod i n Ar!-s,?sns, Bloridn, Illinois, Kentucky, lich igm,

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f ron crtif icir?lly rnbiocctivo n?,tcrinls npplicd t o tho soil docs not st in ul atc plant growth or incrop-eo the gicld of crops.

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1. A najor p a r t of the biological research program concerns the effects of radiations on the inheritance characteristics of living cells. Investigations are being carried out on the effects of radiation on the genetic characteristics of corn, potatoes, peanuts and other plants of types of radiations on the genetic characteristics of cattle, sheep, dogs, rats, mice and nicro ~ rg an ims. with laboratory animals and microorganisms i n terms of genetic factors will in a few years be the equivalent in numbers of generations t o several hundred years i n hman genetics. Reseakh isin progress on the effects of various The investigations now undernay 2. There a r e various types of radiations such as x-rays, gam3la rays, fast and slow neutrons that affect biological processes. effects of various types of radiations are being studied with different species of animals and organisms. 3. Representative projects now i n progress that are designed t o :* .help understand the genetic effects of radiation ares c a. Breeding and growth studies with cattle exposed t o the dust "outfallt1 of the first test bomb at Alaqogardo, New 'dexico, University of Tennessee. b. Research on genetic and cytological effects- of radiation is designed t o provide information on the cheaical-genetic.changes that are produced by radiation. Nutant strains have been produced i n a number of organisms by high-frequency radiation a t the Califor nia Institute of Technology. c. The effects of radiation from the pile and x-ray radiation on the genetic characteristics of economic plants are being investigated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Brookhaven Natioqal Laboratory, North Carolina State College and Harvard

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d. The effect - of radiation on population genotics is being investigated Kith drosoghila. The objective of t h i s project is to learn the extent t o which radiation produces deleterious gene mutations i n a populntion over a period of tine. (The Long Island Bio logic d Association). e. Under a project with Purdue University studies are i n progress on mold metabolism nritn particular rcfwence tothe peni cill m organism. f. Studies on the long-tine effects of radiations on the genetic characteristics of wam bloodsd aninals are being carried on using rats, mice and chickens as eq erin en tal anirnals. Results show that vmious undesirable 2nd desirable heritable changes can be effected by exposure t o various types of radiation. The information with experiment21 cninals scrvns as an indic sti on as t o the genetic chmges that might bo induced i n higher animals by radiation. Ridge National Laboratories). (University of Rochester and Oak

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1. Radioactive particles are Specks of material which are potenti ally dangerous because they e?rit r?diation. They may produce dzmge by extern21 exposure, but of far greater concern i s the possibility of entry into the body by inhalation. uing resezrch is indicated, there is no evidence t o indicate thata serious hazard t o personnel has existed, It is imp r tnn t to rommber thqt a t Hanford the problem was discovered within three nonths after it was believed t o have been i n existence and thzt from tho time of discovery all proc&utionary measures have been taken t o protect the personnel workink i n and around the area of contamination. Probably evcn greater health protection' was exercised at Oak Ndge. 2. The two mjor sources of those particles wers the ,Oak Ridge pile and the chemical separation plwts at both Oak Eidge 2nd H.mford. A t Oak Ridge measurements made as early as 19&4 indicated t h a t the background radiation was increhsing inn downwind direction from the plant. It n S also detcrmined that this activity v:ould increase considcrably after a slug rupture in the piles. The fail urc to recognize the parti - cles ws in a large part duc t o inadequatr? instruments. Furthcmore, . J air sanples i n and around the plm t hzd not indicntod that conditions -.were most sonsitive instruments then available t o detect it, m d it xas vrobain fact radioactivity was so 107 t h ? t it required the blyin tho order of not more than doubls the natural bockground. September 1947.s po ci fic evidence of r sdio xt ive particles was found a t on the ground but it was believed that this vas due t o thz contallination S5ptcnber that specific particles were found. indicate thnt p-irticlcs Were not falling prior to the second qunrter of A s at Oali A%dge there had baen some r.ydioactive contanination It was not until late Thcre i s good evidence t o

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3 . Since thc mi j or it y of the part icl w at Onk liidgr: ':'ire bclicved t o bc coming from the p ilo,priority -:m given to installing filters in tho air exhaust duct. At Hanford r\ study o f tho psr tlc los hnd indicated that they.might be coming fro a tho irm ducts leading from the calls. Thc ducts wcre raplafed with st,ainless stccl,filters were installed i n Tach of th;, cells, and 1mgc sand fil t crs mre instilled in the duct lending into the stack. buildings xere washed'onto tho ground. the soil those particles that were on the ground, by oiling roads, planting grass and paving streets. A t Oak Ridge thoso particles that were on the An effort has been made t o fix i n A t Hanford efforts are being made not t o disturb the natural vegetation i n and around tho area. that tho immediate crisis is over. a t both places have worked mark ably wall. nuabor of' pmt icl esc ming out of the stack a t Hnnford by bp tter .than 99% 'and at Ocak Ridge by better than 90%. It is felt The filters installed in the stacks They have reduced t h e L. A t Oak Ridge the Health Physics Division and a t Hanford the Hcalth Instruments Division are both continuing their studies t o give more information on tho size cnd composition of the p'articles. University of Rochestor is making biological studies t o investigate aw nor i s thcre any evidence t o prove the convcrsc. 5. In October 19&3 the whole particle problem a t Hanford m s discussed with the Advisory Canmittce f o r Biology and Nsdicine. time it ws felt that conditions ncre such that it would be safe t o continue operation of the plant until the filters were installed. idedicnl cxaminctions mode to dat s havc not revealed any dannge t o personnol bocausc of the radioactive particles.

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1. The atomic energy project entails potential. exposure t o qumti ties of radiation never before encountcrod, Thc job o f protecting the workers i n and around the pl.mts h m been given toa new group of industrials pac ic lists called "health physicists". a health physicist are: t o detnrnino the hazard, if my, t o personnol, and t o recomncnd the protective measures t o be taken. bil i ties the health physicist must hzve infornntion on the in st rw cnt s t o use, !nethods.- of mecsurement, methods of shielding and k-mdling radioactive SOUFCOS, and the maximum pernissiblc exposure the hmm body can The p rh ary functions of toma sure the rcdi-tion i n and around R plant, In odor to carry out thcsc rcsponsi2. Through LL progran of biophysics research, studies have contributed considerable basjc information on new …