Minutes - Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine Thirty-Second Meeting

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Alan Gregg, Chairman Ernest Goodpasture, Vice Chairman The thirty-second meeting of the Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine was held i n S t . Louis, Nissouri on June 7, 8, and 9 , 1952. kn informative tour was made of the Mallinckrodt Chemical Plant on Nonday, June 9 , which had been arranged by Dr. Perry Morgan, the Area Manager, through the courtesy of Staff of Division of Biology and Medicine Minutes of Meeting held a t The first order of business presented t o the Committee was the draft minutes of t h e meeting held at the AEC on April 4 and 5, 1952. The minutes were approved panimously upon a motion by Dr. Stalanan and seconded by Dr. Goodpasture.

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the Isotopes for Cancer Program which had been discussed a t the 31st meeting held on April b and 5, 1952. Yequested that the Committee fomally record its telephone approval of t h e plan t o charge 20 per cent of the -cost price for isotopes t o be used i n cancer research and therapy. He pointed out that this plan has been approved by the kdvisory Cormnittee on Isotope Dist rih Son and wXl.3. be put into effect by the Commission on July 1, 1952. The Committee voted t o lend approval t o tfr: plan for the BE(: t o charge 20 per cent of the full catalogue list price for isotopes t o be used i n cancer research and therapy. The Committee further recommended t h a t t h e Division of Research be advised that it heartily endorsed the item inthe Research Division's budget for the development of methods for processbg cesium which promises t o be an extremely usem isotope for teletherapy. I n connection with the statement that t h e QEC wilz charge 20 per cent of production cost f o r radioisotopes, see letter to Senator McKellar dated May 27, 1952 with attachments, listed as Report on Research Proposals Amroved, Renewed, and Declined Research proposals totaling 128 approved or renewed during April and through May 20, 1952 were thoroughly reviewed by t h e Committee. The subjects of t h e eight projects declined were

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k bead &&ussion ensued on the merits of making research oontraots dfrectly with an operating agency as opposed to an investigator as an individual, and it was the unanimous opinion of the Committee that contracts should be made directly with an operating agency, such as a university o r research laboratory, request that U C give financial support t o "Riologica3 Abstracts" i n addition the AUS and the American Institute of Biological Sciences should also give some financial support. should make every effort t o avoid-duplication of material that appears i n Then followed a discussion of a It was further suggerjted that flgiological. Abstracts" It was moved by Dr. Stakman, seconded by Dr. Wearn, and unanimously approved that an expression of appreciation should be forwarded t o the Commission f o r providing the Division of Biology and Nedicine with a sufficient travel allotment t o permit on- and off-site visits by t h e staff t o the projects and to the investigators. (List of projects attached as Addendum Nor 2) Patent Clause The subject of a patent clause in f&C contracts was presented f o r discussion. I n this connection the Committee was adamant inits expression that no exceptions t o the pakent clause should be made for the Hmard

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contract kT(30-1)609 which the Patent Bfanbh would not be willing to write into a B & M contracts o f sbbpei Overhead Dr. Warren opened a discussion on the problem of overhead. He reviewed the d r a f t paper which had been cironlated previously t o the members of the Committee and asked for an expression of their views with special emphasis t o be placed on the last paragraph of the papert f1It is believed t h a t an overhead allowance of 15% of direct expenses on lump-sum research contracts would represent a more equitable share of the c o s t of doing research and would put the AEC ina stronger position t o insist on joint-participation. However, it is believed that the 8% figure should not be abandoned and the 15$ figure adopted i n F.Y. 1953 until. (I) the budgetary picture f o r that year is clarified and the increased costs adjudged feasible; and (2) there has been a determination by the Public Health Service as t o its future overhead policy.n Afull discussion brought forth many diversjfied views. k motion was made by Dr. Weam and seconded Dr. Fail la to increase the mount of overhead from 8 per cent up t o 15 per cent far the f i s c a l year 19% pending receipt of a study fromthe American Association of Medical Schools or tb W. Motion was voted down; four t o three. It was the sense of the Committee that there be no increase i n overhead until participating universities and institutions provide precise information as to their increaued overhead costs. After further discussion, upon a motion made by Dr. Stakman and seconded by D r . Wean, it was .approved unanimously that the American fissociation of Idedical Schools and the NLS be

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asked t o make a report on the hbfiearad indirect cost9 t o participating A further motion was made by Dr. Stahan, seconded by D r . Wearn, and approved unanimously that the NAS be requested t o make the report t o the AEC within a period of six months. Upon the receipt of these reports the question of overhead wlll be reconsidered. Civilian and Nilitary Situations. Dr. Warren and Dr. Bugher reported on the permissitile radiation doses f o r civiLian and military situations with regard t o radiation exposure allowable for pilots of sampling aircraft during operation IVY. It was stated t h a t (1)the approved emergency permissible dose level for a single exposure for persons not warking regularly ~ t h radiation and not t o be repeated, i a $r as established by the Division of Biology and Medicine; (2) it is understood that adequate sanpling cannot be carried out unless exposure of the order of 2Or is received by tb pilots; (3) it is further realized that up t o 25 per cent error in estimating the dose Kill occur; and (4) the maneuvers t o be performed by the sampling pilots are complicated and the wearing of cumbersome protection would hamper the success of the mission and indeed the survival of the pilots. It was recommended t h a t the pilots of sampling aircraft be permitted t o receive a dose of 20r with an upper limit of 2Sr. It is further recommended that these pilots not be-used in subsequent operations where more than the normal permissible dose of

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radiation wiLl be received, except iri the event that their services are necessary t o avert an imminent threat Co the national security. Director of t h e Division of Biology and Medicine forwarded the above information t o Rrigadier General E. J. Kendricks, under date of June 17, 1952.) Dr. Dunham reported on the Industrial. Hygiene and Health Study of Uranium Mines and Mills. He reviewed an the U.S. Public Health Service covering nlbperience hinterim report made European Mines; Radon, Its Biological and Physical Properties; Summary of Medical Findings; Sumnary of Environmental Findings; Discussion of Control i Measures and Recommendation. It was with satisfaction that the Committee learned that the U.S.P.H.S. recommendations included the s t & went that pre-employment and periodic medical caminations should be done on all. workers i n mines and mills. The medical studies recommended include detailed occupational and medical histories, thorough physical examinations (including i skin examination), laboratory analyses of blood and urine, and chest X-rays. It was further recommended that it would be desirable that the periodic examinations be performed annually on every worker. Radiation Accident a t ANL. Dr. Warren reported on the radiation accident a t AM; which occurred on June 3. He advised that the four scientists who received radiation exposure

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appeared t o be i n good condition. W i l l be most important i n determining the future clinical course and the Further absdyvation during next few weeks 'treatment neaessary t o aid in their complete recoveryo Civilian Defense and Militarv Mr. Butenhoff briefly described the knstrumcnt a t ion for Radi aGe botection. present trends in civil defense and military instrumentation* He stated that the FCDA has not contracted f o r any davelopment work o r general procurement of radiation instruments for civil defense use. tions on equipment have been issued t o guide state and local civil defense officials i n their radiological monitoring planning. Helpful Wet in s and specificaWeapons Effects Handbook Dr,, Warren advised the Committee that from measurements taken i n recent atomic bomb tests it i s apparent that under actual field conditions the blastpressure curve does not consist of a vertical front followed @ya single smooth curve.. (Instead, the rise i s not vertical and the following curve is irregular and has several peaks.) I n view of additional data he believed a revision should be made of the curves which are now shown i n "The Effects of Atod.c Weapons." It was pointed out that the matter is not urgent, beczuse (1)the impulse--tho product of pressure and time-which, rather than peak pressure, is critical in many instances, i s relatively unchanged, and (2) what error Is involved i n the present data, when peak pressure is critical, is on the safe

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&xi! a full discussion the Committee concluded that the chapter pertaining t o blast data i n the Weapons Xffect Handbook should be revised. Preliminary Results from the results of t h e dust and fallout studies a t the AJ3C Test Site during the spring of 1952, outlines and intensity of fal out in the 10-50 mile zone and the particle size The information covered distribution and specific activity of the fallout, A data summary chart was circulated uhich was of great help in evaluating fallout phenomena. Goodpasture upon his retirement from the Committee forMs services rendered t o the AEC since 1947. He further commended him for his independent thinking asa scientist, as well as an adninistrator, and for his candidly expressed convictions on all major problems. Dr. Josmh T, Wemn Dr. Wean was selected unanimously t o serve as Vice Chairman of the Committee Next Meeting. The next meeting of t h e Committee is scheduled t o be held at the AEG in Washington, D. C. on Friday and Saturday, September 12 and 13, 1952. Plans are inthe offing for the Committee t o hold a meeting i n Chalk River, Ontario, Canada, on Friday and

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Saturdayj Jafiuary 9 and 10, 1953. T~ChnicaLCooperation Branch of the Division of Research. The visit will be arranged through the