Il.
A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Considerable information on the metabolism and effects of fission-
produced internal enitters was avaflable in the 1940s.
Most of it arose fran
work related to the development of atomic weapons (Smyth, 1946).
Hamfiton
(1947) explained that research:
e:
During the early phases of the development of the
Plutonium Project, it became apparent that one of the most
serious problems to be encountered was the protect fon of
personnel working in this field against the immense
1
quantities of radiation and radioactive materials produced
by the chain-reacting pile.
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The most fmportant hazard that
arises fran the release of nuclear energy are radfations
produced directly from fission and subsequently emitted by
t
the resultant fission products and plutonium.
The fission
products can produce {injury eftther as an external source of
fo
radiation or, if they gain entry into the body, by acting
as an internal radioactive poison, quite analogous to radium .
poisoning.
This latter consideration is 2 major concern,
since the amounts required within the body to produce
1
injurious effects are minute canpared to the quantities
4
necessary to induce damage by external beta and gamma
4
— trradtation ....
The fission of uranium results {n the production of
thirty-four radioactive elements, extending from zinc to
europium, and there have been identified nearly two hundred
radtoactive fsotopes of this large number of elements that
rise fran fission.
Since the possibility of entry of these
fission products Into the body had to be considered as one
ae
tt
of the principal hazards to those working in the field of
atamic energy, {t was necessary to secure Information as to
e