H Division Progress Report, H-241 (August 20 - September 20, 1956) (Redacted)

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at DP Site baa boen plrcta under the adsl nl s ~ t l ~ mof Group E-7. studies concerning the effects of mati on conf id q than primsrily to the directed pri yr i ly at #e delayed and long-tern efrecte of cClparative3.y aDLu of sftrdy i n Enghmi. Over the paat m&er of years the members of Graup 8-4 have PPrSach their The P i r a t of them studies is de8cribcd i n sQyc detail in the 8-1 Monthly It Ls hoped tbat ha w i l l bring back new technique8 and philosaphies relating to the runQyatal biochemical changes vhich ulti;lrately result in the e f r e c k of exposure to radiation vhich we have been-rving Via such c t u e over the past number of years. WSU IAM S, Lee Ella

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The range of 2.3 mev be- was calculated to be .I25 to .25O inches i n the lolrbed graphite of infinite thickness. The neutron emission fx%m this carpbination ir negative. The mterial can be handled w i t h bare hmde four time6 the The source wascapsule at Ten Site through arnrngcPcnta made by 8-1. by R - 1 with the use of Vicctorecn r-chambers. 3. The total exposures f o r all persons issued film badgte in and 1955 vere tabulated and divided into varFous exposure ranges f o r 8 subsequent report to the AEC. 4. A survey of 6ources of radiation in the Administration Building Waa rsde in preparation of an adequate policy concerning the usage of such sources wlthin fran this evaluation. A more comprehensive urine assay acheduling ha8 been initiated prcpsrcb 8 mixture of coke, tbermex, erucic acid, benzine and 92$ oralloy oxide and then extruded the mixture. The toxicity of benzine vas ssfeguarded against Vith the use of organic vapor cartridges. Standard protective clothing was worn. 4000 c/m on the floor, lo00 c/m in the mixing chaabcr, 3000 c/m on the booties end 600 c/m on small equiprcnt. exception of item8 like the screen. In the preparation of U235 loaded graphite at OMX-2 Anchor Site, Mx-2 An outside w o o l pad was also applied for duet. The maximum contamination consisted of All it- were decontsainated to zero count w i t h the The highest air semple i n the vicinity of the mixing vas 327 d/m/m 3 . The one nose count the respirator cartridge were counted and f Number of Days Lost *6.308 3,056 Frequency (Accidents per l,OOO,OOO Manhours) 3.5 2.9 Number of Disabling Injuries 13 16 (*Include8 6ooo days which is the M A charge for a fatality)

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technicrl Sbviser In a series of meetings held by A t d c Energy C&ssion representatives fra LAAO and Washington and Zia ccapsay officials on the subject of pay rate6 f o r Zia craft personnel. on official bnainers. Hsrry Fo- presented &-talke n titled "Mechauirar of Plutonium Binding by bone" on J b l Y 20 at the Gordoa Cunference on Bones and Teeth. He a l s o attended the meting o f the 20th Snteraaticmal Physiologicsl Congresr in Brussels on July 26-29. at the W W Rsdiupathology Research Unit, mr6aith Hospital, London, England. "Relative Biologicdl Effectiveness of Tritium Beta Particles f o r Production of Mortality in Mice", by John E . Ftvchner. in Rsdiation Research. Submitted for publication "Chelation i n Physiological Systems", by Harry Foreman and CelPllle SUUttad for publication i n the Porron authorizing chury in el tflcot on) Irene U. Boone, Xawguerite m e , enh Donna Faye m-21, (Signature o f person m!cing the chm.p. and dzto)Ho. 2, 781-7893 A w 6 t 1956. er "A ChKaoacme Study of the Wild Pig (Pccari anplatus) and the lkoertic Journal of Cytology, Vol. 21, No. 1, 81-84, W c h 30, 1956. Major Areas of Progress in Sections i n the form of WIO incorporate into liver cholesterol t o the same extent. substantiates the asmaption that each is equally suitable for investigational Car par iron of C1'-Acetate and E3 Water as Indicators of biosynthttic The experiment described last month has now been ccnThe following conclusions can be b u n . C14 given as acetate and $ given

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3. Org ude Chrirtcy Section (Wright H. Langhrrm, Lesdcr) Nothing nau to report. 4. Rdi obi ol q Section (John B. Stmer, Lender) and Meutroma on Lift @an, Roaor Inci-e, Fertility, and Incidence of oerrlrr Leu6 on the b m i e of work by the Bicmedical Research ciraap over the pait Piye Y-, it is now apparclrt thrt tbe relative biological efrectivencrs of a wide vsriety of radiations (gama rays to fission pramts) rarely exceeds 2 or 3 when acute effects in mice and rats arc used as the biological end point. used, however, in cossideratione of "tolersnce m e " values for hunrsn beinga, Silsce values obt8Lned i n anirslr for acute effects mew be entirely diffennt f r a thoobtained for cbruzic effecte. radiations for the production of chronic effects, and 2) the effect of vaxioua doses of there radiatiosu on the life span, fertility, etc., of an4nrrrl8, the following experiments have ken undertaken In collaboration with Groups P-4 and H - 2 . Forty-two hundred female mice were individually numbered by trtooing a n d randaPrly dirtributed to 28 groups of 150 mice each. Fourteen of these -pa were then given 6-e exposures to graded doses of Co60 gzuuna rws, 14 Mev neutrons Pros! the Cockcroft &a, or fission neutrons frca Lady Godim, according to the RILE values of 10 or more w e In order to daternine 1) the RhE of a variety of

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The remdnbg 14 groups are receiving veekly exposure three radiations. The dore9 (which will be given for 25 weeks) are being &live- !a to the same Thirty-fivc mice frolp each of these 28 gmup biweekly for ocular lens opacities. The time t o death of recorded and canplate autopsies to establish cause of A n additional 400 mice were divide& irradiated (single exposure) as follows: Number of Nice Type Radiation Dose (rep) These mice have been set aside for specisl pathology studies in which freshly sacrificed aalmd.8 are required. Ten groups of 20 d e mice each are being irradiated weekly (for 25 weekr) according to the following schedule:

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There rice axe being test-bred with 3 f e v l e r after each exposura to deterrim the ti* of onset of sterility. wLU, of cmrsc, be exarined f o r possible abnormalities alae very few are to be anticipated in ae LllpIu a population 88 that being used. that specific answers may be obtained to the following questions (arong others): and fission neut ~ w afor: The litters ? r a n successful breedings Upon carpletion of the above out1-d experb?nte it is aaticipatcd 1) whst is the relative biological effectivenees of 14 MeV neutrom d) the production of sterility the production of trpyrrs (including leukemia) *Aproduction of lens dmmge 2) TO what extent does fractionation (protraction) of dose affect the severity of the changes enuverated in Question l? To what extent is life shortened per rcp of raya or fmd because of certain characteristics of the Ocmpertz function for both 4) DO repeated domes of neutrons add to a greater extent than repeated doses of gama rays f o r production of the effects listed in Question 1'1 To what extent do they add? 5) Are any unique, longNothing new to report. FollawLng the rearrangement of machines in the Beryllium Shop, and the installation of the new exhaust hood, the machMng operations were very heavy. gone of the air wimples collected in the shop and filter tom were more than 0.1 of the tolerance figurc. A study under way in the graphite machine shop in Si@a building W a s continued in an effort to obtain weighted exposures for all types of operations. In cooperation with SI)-2, special experiments were made at Building 96 during the machining of graphite. These experiments w e r e zvo to determine the particle size

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and the quantity of dust resulting frca milling graphite. tained will enable us to detemine t h e type of local exbaust hoods and air cleaning ewpmcnt neccrrary when machining graphite containing enriched uranium. A 8- at DP West to deterpline the psrtlcle size of plutonium dust during variaua was continued. In order to obtain an adequate quantiw of mterlal for prrticle size analysis, it Fmpactora for five drys. In addition to surveys made following lpcrcury Spills, we are contiItaing DeconWnation Laboratory; all expostqes have been minimal. All buildings involved were monitored and an The results of the first survey made by Group E-1 We have cooperated with cl'nxrp H - 1 during the processing of enrlched umnlum and benzene by Group M x - 2 . air sampling pro- was set up. indicate that the exposures to both uranium and benzene were insignificant. We have reviewed the preliminary plans f o r the new Si- Building prepsred by the Architect Engineers. All ventilation and air cleaning original4 recaprrcndtd have been incorporated. A ventilation survey was made following the installation of a new exhaust system in the grinding man at TA-3 shop. A resurvey was made in the beryllium FOOP t o dcterrclne the air flow through the hoab rabd;ar vurlc ~ p ~conditlona o f operation. It wa8 found that the air flcn through the beryllium machinirSg hoods vas approxlxmtely the same as when installed and origh8U.y approved. A ventilation survey covering 16 fume hoods was made in building 460 atS Site. Pre ll m3.rm ~ conferences have been held to discuss ventilation control measure8 for the prvpOmed new CMB and H-DivLsion additions t o Ten S i t e . Several conferences have been hela with Eng-2 and the AEC in an attempt to c l a r i f y the discrepancies in the epecifications covering thc proposed venturi scrubber installation in the new Radiochemistry Building. Additional data has been supplied to the A-E and the fabricator. Since this is em experimental device to remove mo active iodine and acidmist, It vi11 not be possible to insist upon a given efficiency f o r the venturi scrubber. final pmpoeal is being made at this tjme. We have conferred at various times with Eng-2 personnel on the problem of evaluating and redesigning the exhaust system for the basement of the AdPinistration

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method of exhausting i n Graphic Arts Depsrtmrent. relative to the type an& deaign of a hood for the control of fumes from the B-1 An experimntal procedure has been devised to determine the desirable We have made reC-tiOnS A t0tsl of eight sets of plana vere approved during this period. More detailed irUolmration on the f oU wing problem i e contained in the B. Raecarch and Davalapwrrt Supplesentary Section Reparts. 1. Evdststian of Plutonium Ekpo8-8 We have cmtinutd work i n assembling a bibliography on this subject An aaeiLysis of plutoniumf o r the proposed conference t o be held a t Lo8 Alamos. urine aasrye has been initiated; the cm i led data will be discussed with T-Division Fn an effort to detersine the significance of the results. Practically all work on inst.&lng a venturi scrubber a t Ten Site ha8 A sampling nozzle and special filter paper holders have been fabricated and actual aa~rplingw i l l be initiated in the near future. The evaluation of the stack discharge f'rm the RaLa c e l l is proceding 3. Relipirafary Protective mipent A report on the respiratory protective equipment problem a t Lo8 Alams was prepared and submitted t o the AEC Division of Biology and Medicine. A few plutonium samples have been lun with available equipnent - Sing the Emford method with satisfactory results. We have plamd orders f o r edditional equi-nt which includes plating equiplrant and ameras. This equippent will enable full scale experimentation plutonium in urine. Claaufllcation &angod t o 5. Analytical Procedure Develapmtnt The initial phaae of a study onurine has been reduced to absolute practice. 6 . Physical Properties of Beryllium Ccarpaunds Another battery of beryllium samples were ~u13for solubility w i t h scmevbat erratic results; a slightly modified sampling technique is being considered in an effort to find more concordant values.

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We have received six continuous alpha sagapler-cauotcrs f'mm~ Group P-1. These srmplers have been calibrated aegrinrt plutonium studarda. sir large air pmpr, fabricated especially for the ccmtinaaus samplers, have b.sn We have mpervLsed t h e initial run by Group A-2 uring 9.mnca gae throaepl sareral recam!mdationr were made to reduce the posribility --tal tabm in an electrical furnace; persolllrsl were tquigpcd with 1. Air sa~pltrcollected or field tests msde for: Water eamplee collected Beryllitm on reap. filters Thallium on swipes 5 . Research aad Developent Laboratory Section Projects Ha. 2 - radicuetric uranium analysis, little pro~pvsedue to

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1. -a. Coluldsrable assistance on our p r o g ~ avas &rived f'rca the work of two W t e students aselwed to ua for the blPlPer. 2. Work in Progress iaflnik p l r u lab.ntor ha8 been darived by S. Plerret In RAD-1%. This urprerrlon is be- evdhted as a function of dirtance between source and modemtor; it ie belq coded for the I1# 704 machine. b. Work I s continuing on a filter for uee in mito ring of radioactive A revlev of the firrt drsft of the REZWIEO report I s In prognrr. Two "Rudolph" neutron monitoring instrurents have been calibrated. One v i l l go to E-1 for use and evaluation vhlle the other v i U be coppsred vlth the prerently used converted Pee Wee under a variety of conditione. vibrating reed elsctraeter. the vibrating reed electrackr a change in Ita tmpem~tureproduced large currents. e. Invertlgation of electrical leakage during and post Irradiation rcrys In the Vlctoreen thimble cheabers is continuing.by means of the It WM dircovcred that with the thisble chamber in Thin is probably due to the change In chambe Work is proeprrslng on the for use in alpha rey detection. by aulhorLtY layer is Introduced shov that only a lssll chaage In the spectral sensitivity Theory and experiment are still in disagreement by a factor of about

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c. Attempta to rcywc thoron daughters (Pb 212) frca! activated charcoal that had -bed thoron have been unsuccesrfU. har been discontinued. Further vork on this d. mce in(lectcd vith thoriur-~(Pb 2 1 2 ) have a distrfbutioa or their act i vlt y in their tir auer similar t o that obaerved vhen they inhale thoron. blood activity is -at ent lr rly in the red cells apd the specific activity Of the kidney is higher tkn that of other tirmer. 0. W. Stopinski attendsd the following conferences: the for ation of a perprnapt weather research aection of the Task Force to be program of the US Westher Bureau f o r the Nevada Teat Site. the prom wab outlined and …