see ee = ‘Dr. George Hardie attended :a meeting at the. New York Opeyation® Office on August 24 on the future of the poloniumtoxicity reseqrch.pro-: gram. Representatives from Mound Laboratory, :‘Oak Ridge. Operatic ns-Office; - University ofRochester:‘Project’;‘NewYork:Operations:Office}:vas wel.cas2 Division ofBiology: and’ Medicine;Were :present..” Plans:werefmade‘tdthe hold a:2-day.-symposimmon: polonium.toxicity. research sccomplis!hhents; at Rochester. on ‘September ;21-22; lt PTs Biology. Brauch (Research Problems) University of Tennessee (Oak Ridge). A project has beem initiated | jointly with the Division of Military Application to determine fthe effects of exposing large animals to external radiation using tantalumJi82. Ini- tially, burros will be used as they approximate the size of maf: The range of exposure will be from 30 roentgens to 150 roentgens dbily. The outdoor exposure field will be constructed so that it can be dBactivated to allow for the handling and observation of the animals. The physiological criteria as to the effects of the radiation will incl He physical fitness, blood chemistry and hematology, and fertility. — U. S. Department of Agriculture (Beltsville, Ma.). AcqJording to ¢ Dr. F. W. Parker, Assistant Chief of the Bureau of Plant Indugtry, Soils and Agricultural Engineering, the advances made in our knowledge of phos- phate fertilizers during the last 3 years through the use of fFadioisotopes exceeds. the information obtained during the preceding 50 yearg. The | economic importance of this is apparent when we consider thatithe annual sales of phosphate fertilizers in the United States exceed 1Q/million tons. Biophysics Branch Ideho. survey. The radiation background survey of the [idaho Reactor Testing Station site carried on during the summer is essentially complete. Because of Hanford's proximity to Idaho and "know-how" in lof-level radiation measurement, Hanford undertook to make radioactivity tekts of the air, soil, water, vegetation, and animals. Idaho State Collfge colliected, prepared, and shipped samples to Hanford, while as part of ifs own ecological survey of the area it collected and preserved some 1E0O specimens of plants and 68 specimens of small animals for the college. It has also staked out about 250 plots in order to follow anychanges wifich might occur in vegetation. The Hanford measurements showed that wadcn and thoron concentrations in the air at the site are somewhat higher than at Hanford, but that the radioactivity of the water is somewha} less than at Hanford - about one-tenth of the present permissible levgl. Because iodine may become one of the major radioactive contaminants emphasis has been laid on the natural occurrence of iodine.] particular There are strong indications of several distinct levels of iodine conkentration at various locations about the site. The level of potassium (Bncluding K 40) appears to be higher than at Hanford. These detailed obseywations will be of much value in checking on possible contamination of the area, particularly of grazing lands, when reactor operations begin. Emergency tolerance levels. A preliminary study hag - -1 been made tc - DOE|ARCHIVE