AND THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS
vert
Fliedner, 1T.M.; Cronkite, E.P.; Bond, V.P.
Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y.
Publication Date: 1962
34 p.
Primary Report No.: BNL-6018
Journal Announcement: NSA17
Document Type: Report
Language: English
Contract No.: AT-30-2-GEN-16
The hematological data of patients of 4 radiation accidents, Rongelap
1954, Oak Ridge 1958, Vinca 1958, and Lockport 1960, are reviewed and
compared. The blood cell curves appear to show three phases. An initial
phase at about 8 to 10 days, a phase of transient or abortive
regenerations,
and a phase of final effective recovery were demonstrated.
These phases in the blood are preceded and caused by particular events in
the bone marrow. Evidence was brought forward that transient rises in
leukocytes and reticulocytes associated with a delayed platelet
disappearance curve are associated with a marrow capable of spontaneous
recovery. In patients with inhomogenous total--body irradiation, the
transient rise may iead directly to effective recovery. Immediate decline
of all blood cell elements without evidence of further, even abortive
attempts of marrow regeneration must be considered as evidence for a iethal
bone marrow dose and extremeiy serious complications may be expected. The
clinical implications of these analyses are outlined and the diagnostic
possibilities described. (auth)
Descriptors:
ACCIDENTS;
BLOOD CELLS;
BLOOD FORMATION;
BONE MARROW;
DIAGNOSIS;
LETHAL DOSE;
LEUCOCYTES;
MAN;
MEDICINE;
PERSONNEL;
PLATELETS;
QUANTITY RATIO;
RADIATION INJURIES;
RECOVERY;
REGENERATION
Subject Codes (NSA): BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
10/5/144
(Item 144 from file: 109)
216404
NSA-17-006350
STATEMENT ON THE HAZARDS OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT
Farr, L.E.
Pediatrics
(U.8.)
v 29.
Publication Date: May 1962
Coden: PEDIA
845-7 p.
Note: 0031-4005
Journal Announcement: NSA17
Document Type: Journal Article
Language: English
In a meeting on January 22 and 23,
1962 the Committee on Environmental
Hazards considered the problems posed for pediatricians by fallout by
radioactive materials on the United States. It reviewed data on the
duration, amounts, and hazards of radioactive I/sup 131/ and Sr/sup 90/ in
fallout, data and reports of new processes for removal of Sr/sup 90/ from
milk, as well as reports on long-term studies of Japanese survivors of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki and people of the Marshall Islands who were exposed
to fallout from nuclear weapons testing. It concluded that the present
Sr/sup 90/ content of milk is less than that which is capable of inducing
recognizable deleterious effects in infant, child, or adult during average
lifetimes. Laboratory methods for the removal of Sr/sup 90/ from milk are
now being tested, and if it becomes necessary, these can probably be
OS
developed through pilot stages to commercially applicable procedures. About_o
80% of Sr/sup 90/ ingested will be immediately excreted so that the body
Mm
burden increases more slowly than does the environmental contamination.
cow thus eliminates 80% of environmental Sr from its milk.
The present
The
cD
level of I/sup 131/
in foods, liquids, and atmosphere is also well below in
the levels at which alerting of the population is required by governmental
standards,
which are very conservative. Blocking doses of stable I are not
at this time necessary. Prophylactic administration of carrier I as a
blocking agent presents the probability of developing iodism in large
numbers of children by well-intentioned but uniformed practitioners. Should
I/sup 131/ or Sr/sup 90/ in the environmental significantly increase, those
agencies charged with protection of the population will inform these groups
responsible for the development of appropriate recommendations and