Universit bor hi This group first discussed the application of atamiec energy techniques to the agricultural sciences. They feel great advances will be fortheoming, but perhaps not as soon as some claim, They note the value of radioactive tracer studies in in- proving our knowledge of how most economically to apply fertilizers, and to improve plant nutrition, They note the great potential value of’ ionizing radiation to induce mutations in speeding up arop improvement programs, They point up the invaluable contribution tracer studies can make to our understanding of animal nutrition, They touched on the problem of radioisotopes aa posai-~ ble contaminants in faod products and point out that present law classes radioisotopes of any sort or in any amount as poisons, | They urge a more realistic approach to this inasmuch as no food product is or ever has been literally free of radioactivity. There is a general diacussion of possible effects. of fallout and the like on the ecology of the country, The committee recommends that it may well be in the public interest to expand . the present programs to a continuous study of the changes in levels of background radiation and the movements of radioactivity in the system, (This is in easence an activity that the AEC has alrea underway and is expanding very much along the lines recommended.) Finally, there is a statement concerning use of radiation for food processing, They note that relatively low exppsures will destroy parasites in meat and inhibit sprouting in potatoes and onions, They also note that for sterilization extremely large doses are required (millions of roentgens). They felt this area of development was moving as rapidly as warranted and that the interest of the consumer will be adequately protected, They ex- pect at a later date to review the evidence for wholesoneness and acceptability of irradiated foods, NAS Committee on Disposal and Dispersal of Radioactive Waster zha 1 ohns Ho sl ye} vet eke “This group considered the magnitude of ‘the problem not as it ia today but as it will become with full scale production: of power by nuclear reactors, They note that to date essentially none of these wastes has been returned to the environment, I+ is being stored in tanks, They point out the importance af devetop~ ing more economic methods of handling these wastes to the total development of atomic power, They have no quarrel with present. practices but are concerned at the future magnitude of the prohiem, -9ONS. REPROULDt RGus THE COLLECTI OF THE ARCHIVES OF THE NATIONAL AGACEMY OF SCIENCES - 7