Biological Studies of Materials Arising from Energy Operations
The Effects of Pollutants on Cells Studied in
Project Title: Tissue Cultures
RX-03-06-(c)
13.
Publications:
Project not yet initiated,
14,

Scope:
A)
200 Word Summary:

The incidence of chronic pulmonary disease is increasing,
Pollutants
in the environment, cigarettes, and industrial dusts are suspected as the

primary causes,

Evaluation of suspected hazards by exposure of animals in

closed, monitored environments would take decades and be extremely costly in
manpower as well as dollars.
Using a 3 tier tissue culture system, it is
proposed to study the interactions of pollutants with pulmonary macrophages
and neutrophils and to detect those pollutants with deleterious effects on

human pulmonary epithelium.

In addition, the effects of noxious particulate

and gaseous pollutants will be studied in classical tissue culture systems,
The pollutants shown to have deleterious effects in culture will be evaluated
in animals,
B)

Supplement to 200 Word Summary:

In the highly industrialized western society, man is subject to a changing
incidence of genetic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, neurological and mental
diseases and cancer.
The incidence of pulmonary diseases is increasing but the

suspected role of the environment in causing this increase has been inadequate-

ly evaluated,
One must consider
factors: the effect of radiation
nuclear power plants, industrial
foods in the diet; the effect of
effects of chemicals used

the following as potentially causative
from all sources (the practice of medicine,
operations, etc,); the effect of processed
drugs used in the practice of medicine; the

in industry;

effects of

industrial gas and

liquid

effluents contaminated by heavy metals; the carcinogenic effect of hydrocarbons; the general toxic effect of oxides of nitrogen and sulfur exhausted
from fossil fuel plants; the effect of inner-city crowding on the spread of
disease generally; and the effect of stress due to such influences on the
individual as the uncertainties connected with modern national and internationa
competition,
None of these factors can besatisfactorily considered separately
Each must be analyzed in relation to the others, the varying interactions
thoroughly evaluated,

Studies comparable to those used to assess the hazard of inhaled
B and uranium are required to identify the chemical and physical
char@gistics of hazardous pollutants, the long-term animal studies will

1-2 decades,

A method enabling more rapid answers would be useful

in designing the long-term experiments.

Thus,

the initial proposal is to

study the effect of environmental contaminants upon cell proliferation and
function, including in vitro carcinogenesis, with diverse standard tissue

culture systems,

These would include in vitro cultivation of bone marrow

(See Continuation Sheet)

1119333

RX - 390

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