‘ ~
*
.
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td
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~23-
7
(om .
received approximately 100 to 150 rep from the short lived iodine family.
It has
been reported that irradiation of the thyroid area in early life increases the
incidence of cancer of the thyrodd.
Accordingly thyroid function and the possilbity
of thyroid cancer is being studied in the Marshallese children.
Before concluding I cannot refrain from expressing my personal opinion and conviction on twoaspects of the fallout problem,
First, the acute and long term hazards
of fallout such as would occur following the use of thermonuclear devices in werfare
is simply unthinkable.
The wide spread contamination over continental areas from
multiple detonations of thermonuclear devices over pupulated areas would produce reddation hazards for all living things and for generations to come.
understood.
These hazards are
These hazards cannot be considered as the usual "calculated riak basis®
of warfare in the pst.
One can only make a plea that an enlightened world, will
deuand that their representatives in government also appreciate these Lazards and
wWth this recognition bring every conceivable effort of diplomacy to solve the problens posed by differences in political and economic ideologies and thus prevent a
type of warfare that cannot be considered in terms of "calculated risk",
-
Second the world wide low level radietion of today from diverse sources has been
analyzed thoughtfully by competent people individually and in assembly.
Note the
sober and realistic reports of the National Academy of Sciences, the British Medical
Research Council and the United Nations,
These reports point out the multiple sources
of radiation in our lives today and the necessity for continuous scrutiny.
confuse unavoidable radiation exposure with radiation hazard.
Let us not
Let us not lose sight
of the miltiple sources by undue preoccupetion with world wide fallout,
let us not
be so preoccupied with radiation in general that we forget about industrial pollution
of our enviroment in general by non radioactive but toxic substances.
Lastly the
incidence of leukemia was apparently increasing prior to the development of atomic
energy.
Why?
DOE ARCHIVES
FF