11

THe FOREIGH SERVICE

OF AMERICA
6 April 1954
Dr, Rokuzo Kobayashi

“National Institute of Health
Wolfare Ministry
TOKYO
Doar Dr, Kobayashi:

On March 26 we received two samples of urine from patients at
the Tokyo University Hospital, I am happy to be able to report at this
time that tho raCloactivity of these sacples is so low that. the ceposits
of fission procucts in thc tissues of the two patients can be accepted
as well within the limits of safoty, The results follow:

MASUDA, Sanjiro
YAMs«0T0, Taceshi

~ 720 aisintegrations per minute per liter
-— 510
_f
"
a
"
"

Deta on tne individual racio-isotopes will be telesrached to ne.

in another few ¢eys,

It will then be possible for me to be nore quanti-

tative in estinating the dose from absorbed. fission procucts, . However,

it is most certain that the storage of long-lived. ratio-isotopes 3isAns.

siznificant in these men.

a

‘As you know, the rate of excretion of fission products at any__.o= =.

given tine after absorption bears a relationship to the quantities de
—
posited in the various tissues, The principal radiochemical constitucnis
at this tine sre tue to Sr89, Lal40 anc the Eere Earths, These are
isctopes which have rolatively short half-lives anc ere ecliminatec from
the boty with conparative rapidity either by radioactive decay or excretion, In the case of these patients, Sr90 is most certainly an insignificant fraction of. the total absorbed radioactivity. The permissible
urinary excretion, considering the isotopes involved, would be greater,
by a large factor, than the values reported stove,
IT note that the newssapers continue to carry occasional statenents of the Jagancse investicators to the effect that the prognosis for
the fishermen is acverscly affocted ty the fact that long-life bone—secking isotopes are Ceposited in their tissues, It is regrettable that
the public continucs to be misinformed in this resvect.

Certainly the

results reported above argue convincingly that only minimal, necically
insignificant anounts of fission proéucts have teen ebosorbed into the
tissues of the two patients for whom results are avrilable,

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