FFICIAL USI ONL
-3the Division of Environmental Health Sciences (DEHS), Research Triangle,
North Careclina and the National Center of Urban Health and Industrial
Medicine 1% Ciscinnatt.
Dr. L. W. Tettle, of the Division of Environmental
Health Sciences has been acting as coordinator for their research effort.
In collaboration with DEHS the AEC has entered into two interagency agreements, Battelle-Northwest and Rochester, for additional research directed

toward the “Biological Effects of Radon and Radon Daughters."

Since the

last ACBM meering an additional contract dealing with the uranium mine
problem had been initiated by DBM,
This work is with Dr. Geno Saccomanno
az Grand Junctior, Colerado, and consists of the establishment of a tumor
registry, a follow-up on the exfoliative cytologic changes in miners‘
spucum afier they have been reassigned from underground mining, and an
effore by Dr. Saccomanno with several other pathologists to further evaluate
tne exfolrative cytologic technique.
Uranium Miner Research.
Dr. Lough reported that the development of
instruments needed im conmmection with estimating exposure to radon
daughters in uranium mines 1s proceeding along two lines:
1) development
of am improved inscriument to measure the radon daughter concentration in
mine air ~- tne "Inetaat Working Level Merer' developed by Dr. Schroeder,
MIT, is considered outstanding; 2) the "Personal Dosimeter" of which
several types have been developed.
These devices are all intended to
estimate the integrated exposure of the wearer to radon daughters and upon
appropriate read-out yield the exposure in working level weeks of months.
All of these devices are under examination in the laboratory and mines.
lt is hoped that the field testing will be completed by January 1, 1969.

StatusofABCC.

The current status of the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission

was described by Dr. Storer. A brief history of the scientific program was
presented which indi.ated that while for the first 20 years of operation
the findings were essentially negative (except for leukemia incidence)
there are mow emetging positive data indicating an increased incidence of
thyroid, breast, and lung cancer and an increased death rate in the heavily
exposed survivors.
Despite the extreme scientific importance of the
program DBM is now being squeezed by inflation in Japan on the one hand
and by the balance of payments problem on the cther either to effect a
reduction in personnel at ABCC or to induce the Japanese to increase their
scientitic, administrative and financial participation.
DBM has elected
to pursue the latter alternative initially and steps are being taken to
Open negotiations with the Government of Japar to see whether they will
agree to am increased role in ABCC affairs.
international Biological Program.
Dr. Wolfe discussed the IBP which
includes as a majcr objective an attempt to measure biclogical productivity
at the level of ecclogical systems,
The U.S. effort is represented by

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