and products (milk, cheese, etc.), as well as human materials
(particularly skeletons of stillborn infants and human milk).[
notable that radiostrontium has been observed in many parts o
_ World; however, the concentrations are too lowto establish
logical hazard as a result of detonation of anypractical
It is
atomic weapons. Present considerations of biological hazards
on avalue of maximmpermissible body burden established by
National Committee on Radiation Protection. In times of neti
_ardy, however, this value would be unrealistic.
A group of radiobiologists, with radioisotope experience
assembled to consider the practical aspects of biological haz
to radiostrontimm. This group estimated the degree of hazard
ated with various amounts of radiostrontium in the human skel
from barely observable effects up to lethality. These calcul
can'form the basis for further estimates of secondary bomb ha
In addition to making the estimates, it is plamed to initiat
tory experiments to check the estimates. All available data
cases, particularly those in which patients have been treated
radiostrontium,will be assembled and reviewed for pertinent i
tion.
Additional tracer experiments on humans may also be pr
Liver Protein Alteration in Radiation Injury.
(UNCLASS
By the use of electrophoresis, investigators at the Medical
of Virginia have recently revealed a substantial change in th@
stitution of the proteins of the liver of rabbits exposed to
x-irradiation. One of the major components, constituting abo
cent of the normal soluble liver proteins, disappears within
con-
after irradiation and is still absent after 50 days (the limi
observations at the time of the report).
It is known that this particular component undergoes a
electrophoretic mobility under circumstances in which the oxi
the protein's sulfhydryl groups is to be expected. Such a shi
make this component indistinguishable (electrophoretically) f
large components and could account for its apparent "disappe
The idea that this oxidation is actually what happens after i
is supported by the fact that the missing components can be
reappear by incubation of the protein extract with certain s
donating chemicals, and that the loss can be prevented by givi
immediately before the X-ray exposure.
isolation and analysis of this reactive component is now eing
attempted, and if this is successful, its biological activity
ventive or therapeutic agent against radiation damage will be vested.
d
R
DOE ARCHIVES