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UNCLASSIFIED —
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Biology and Medicine
TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION CENTER (UNCLASSIFIED)
Problema of‘texicity of both radioactive and nonradioactive material have arisen reoo
peatedly within ‘the operations of the Atomic Energy Commission and its qpntractors. Requests -for information on items of toxicology are often made of the headquartersfoffice. In order to.
obtain assistance andprovide for an. orderly handling of the requests, the AEC entered into a ~
armed forces
od the AEC,Its function. is to collect and correlate infor
_its Sponsors in matters off toxicology.
REPATRIATION OF THE RONGELAPESE.
On June 29, the Rongélap people returned to their homeisiand in the
rshall Islands. As
a result of a number of radiological surveys since the March 1954 detonaliion in the Pacific, it
was determined that levels of radioactivity had decreased to the point whg@re it wassafe for the
people to live on their home atoll again. Preceding their return, rehabilifation of the island was
completed. This included restoration or construction of houses and cleankp of the water supply
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PROJE CT SUNSHINE
The distribution of radioactive fallout {s being studied by a stratosplrric sampling program and by a worldwide systemof open pots which are measured monthly for strontium 90
content. The soil analysis program continues as does the gummed paper rogram, though less
weightis being attached to results from the latter.
‘
On the human side, marked advances in an understanding of the dist
and cesium:137 in the human body and the variation from one individual
made through a program of whole-skeleton analysis in the New York Ci
bution of strontium 90.
another’ are ‘being
area. ©
Fallout testimony was given, ‘May 27—June 7, in hearings before the bcommitteeon
Radiation ofthe Joint Committee on Atomic Energy.
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ve
Systematic collection of samples of food from foreign countries was continued under the .
program of the Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Obfense in which the
AEC is. participating. Data are being obtained on the principal sources ¢f calcium in the typical diet of each country and the average calcium and strontium 90 content ofthe foods collected in
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