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Declassified record · U.S. Department of Energy

Letter to C L Dunham, Subject: Plans for the Regular Annual Medical Survey of the Marshallese for March

Dated
Jul 25, 1957
Document type
Correspondence
Length
3 pages
Open the original scanArchive record OSTI ID 16358977 · public domain

Document text

Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.

Page 1

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY fi fief,(ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC . c Director, Division of Biology and Medicine Atomic Energy Commission A t your request, i n addition t o plans for the regular annual medical survey of the Marshallese for next March which will be suhitted in the near future, the following mpplementary proposal is submitted. on the assumption that the Navy w i l l again furnish an LST for the annual 8 u ~ - vq, It is also assumed that the LSC will orig hate Prom Pearl Harbor. The use of an LST is considered essential f o r carrying out the entire medical survey and will be explained i n more detail i n the main proposal. This proposel is based Since little is known about the relationship i n human being6 of total body burden o f radioactive isotopee t o their urinary excretion rate6 data on these ratios would be of great importance, The Rongelap people genffdly have higher body burdens of radioisotopes than are found in other peoples of the world. Thie type of correlative analysis would therefore be paore e a s i l y accomplished in th ie groupo mental contamination which exists on the island could be evaluated i n the Arture from auch studies. In addition the influence of fhe slight environI n order t o achieve these objectives it is proposed that whole body gatma spectra be obtained a8 well as simultaneous urine collections for radiochemical analysis on a l l the eqosed Bongelap people and the unexposed Rongelap people living with them i n conjunction with the next ~ u m e y , From studies of data from such m eurements on body burdens of ganana isotopes and u r i rates of SrB from fallout, it might be poseible t o predict the Sr rate based on body burdens of one o r more genrma d tter s determined from gamma spectroscopy. These studies would elso correlate w i t h similar studiea contemplated for the Medical Department at B.N.L. T h e gama spectra analyzers could be used at B.N*L. when not in use on the Marshallem. The following specific requirement8 are oonaidered necessary: a) A n 8" diameter by 4' thick Sodium Iodide, Thallium activated A large crystal of this type is needed i n order t o achieve satisfactorycrgstal.

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Such acq at al has been proved satisfactory i n the propoaed tspe of application b.r Marhelli and Miller at Argonne National Laboratory. important that t h e crystal and the materials used f o r encaeing it be free from radioactive ~~ntarninants.A suitable crystal can be fabricated Q the wuld be used t o support the crystal 888-0 with Drs, Kuper, Higginbotham and Chase of the B.N.3.G Instmanentation Division indicates that this type of instrument would be satisfactory for the type of analysis contsnqplated. These instruments are currently being fabricated a t the Technical hs n remer at ; ~Company, New Haven, Connecticut, for B.N.L. and are considerably less q en sive than the two hundred fifty4ix ohamel type analyzer in use at Argonne National Laboratoryo I n vltew of the resaoteness of the locale of exaBlinations and consequent difficulties of getting repair work done within a reasonable period of tjme it uaa alee recornended that two of these analy%erabe taken along, such analyses a room with ateel valls of at least 4" thfcknsss is deemed contacted officials at the Navy Yard, New York, in regard t o fabrication of such a room with the following remits. I& were informed that 8 barbette from a cruiser is t o be removed in the near future f o r scrapping purposeso This cylindrical barbette eould be cat so that four curved sections, 6' high and 6" thick would form the sides of a chambsr about seven feet BCM)8So Two, tuo inch thick steel plates could be secured both on the top and bottom of the chamber t o afford overall Welding of four t o six inches of atdoA door of adequate size of 4 inches steel thickness would be d e for acces8+ The s i z e of this room would be adequate f o r the purposes and the thiuk steel walls, floor and ceiling would insure a low bachgrotllld. Necessary openings for electrical l i n e s could be made. Subject te Navy approval, thisl cbamber could be fabriwted at the Naval Shipyard at New York and shipped t o Pearl Harbor via one of the Navy vessels en route there. assembled and placed on board the tank deck o f the LST t o be provided. at Pearl Harbor can easily hnndfe the transfer t o the LSP. A &and such as is used with a portable machine b) Two, One hundred channel. gsmavr epectnzm analy119rs. Conference e) In order t o insure sufficiently low background radiation for A t Pearl Harbor the room could be Two mall dehmnidifysrs wad be needed, one i n the steel room t o make the subjects more comfortable during measurements and one i n e small wooden room t o be built adjacent t o the steel room t o protect the analyzer against high The power source aboard the LST w i l l be adequate. Upon completion of t h e operation the steel room would be stored at Pearl Harbor Navy Yard f o r fuiiure use.

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Use of present shower=room facilities on board the IST would be adequate for setting up the decontamination and change station necessary for preparing personnel for measurement. Radiochemical urine analyraes could be carried out at the Walter Reed Institute of Research as in the past. t o participate in the operation and will supervise the measurmelasa The Naval Medical Research Institute has tentatively agreed t o allow m0 Mesnard Either t o participate again. His talents will be invaluable i n operatfng the 0 ) Two 5" photomltiplper tubes and one pre e Qe roo 400 g) Cost of fabrication of wooden room and d n h g (Estimates for costs on the tvo personnel involved w i l l be su?mitted with the basic propsal. It is understood from the planning eud estirnste division of the New Pork Naval Shipyard that the fabrication of the s t e e l chamber conld be done in about 2 monkha and work could pr0babl.g be started around SOptember or October and could be completed in time t o arrive at Pearl Harbor pbaw by Jamzarg o r ear* verbally until formal approval could be written) for 1)use of on La in March 1958 for 3-4 weeks and 2) permission for fabrication of the std chamber at the New Pork Naval Shipyardt shipment t o Pearl Harbor via Naval vessel and installation on board the L S at Pearl, Such action d d necessitate early approral by the Navg (at lead