1179
laboratory procedure. But now we can do the same thing with instruments that are stationary.
*
CURRENT METHONG OF MONITORING

_ Mr. Dexcay.

the

x

at about the measurement of the Jevel« of cesium

;

s

that increasing in soplisticavion so

af your measures can detect levels that were previously undetectable!
Let me answer tha: a little differently. Several vears ago
no one would have thought you could take a whole body counter into

the field. Now it is engineered to be taken out into thefield.

Mr. Dexcax. You did early in 1975. But your first whole body count
nin—

tr.
r.

McCraw. "74.
aTEs. is that when you first detected the increase!

Mr. McC

Thatis the first measurement of cesium in people. We

b
icted what the levels would be.
ann Dexcax. Were your measurements in accordance with the prection f
1. Me

.)es. All of the surveys that we have done have tended

to support the earlier findings. We have gotten « better body of data
and more confidence in the radiation doses we are predicting. and we
are looking s* the actual items of the diet and do not have to rely on

estimates of radioactivity in the foods that the people are eating.
Mr. Drxcax. But your whole body counts in 74 were not alarming.
It wasn't until vou went beck in “¢5 with your major resurveythat you

c.
. In 1975
higher d doses on the
he bas:basis
97 we began to redict ict higher
“SeMets
of samples we had collected. In 1977 when the second whole body count
was done the levels were a factor of ten higher than in 1974.
PEDERAL 6TANDARDES AND CURRENT BIKIX] LEVELS

Mr. Yates. Above the Federa] sandards!
AMMcCraw. If I might explain about the standards. There aretwo
pumbers.
is for the
] population. The otheris for an individual
where you know the individual's exposure. We have not exceeded that
individual] number. We have seen levels approaching this lower number for the
general
ulation. We feel that we can use the higher
number or the standard because we are actually measuring the levels
of radioactivity in individuals in the population. We know the distri:
bution. We know the highs and we know the lows.

Mr. Yarzs. Who is to sar that the Federa! standards are accurate’.

Hox do you mow theFederal standards are acceptable!
edon
r. Yarzs. Why do you establish standards and asy if you come to

“be wendard -verything is fine, and if you

above this standard itis

..< ane How co you know theFedera! standards are not carcinogenic!
vir, Drar I think in the redistion protection field that we are conce
we have another philosophy which is the lowex practicable solution to a problem and it is believed that the people who
work with radiation wil] not receive-—

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