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RADIATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING FALLOUT
93
Dr. Comar. It is not quite as simple as that because there is a
differential rate of turnover in the body and one has to take into
account the degree of absorption and the rate of elimination.
So that the evaluation is not quite as simple as you have stated.
Representative Hosmmr. Since potassium remains in the body for
60 days, to give the same amount of exposure, cesium would have
to remain in the body 80 times 60 days; is that right ?
Dr. Comar. For cesium and potassium the comparison would be
a fairly valid one, but the others would have to be considered separately. I think later on when the Prediction Panel talks about dose
commitments this type of information will be put in a form so that
one can get a comparison.
Chairman Houirmeip. Will the gentlemanyield ?
Representative Hosmer. Yes.
Chairman Hottrtev. Is it also equally true that because of the
daily intake that your level of potassium would remain high continuously. Therefore, it would not be taken into the body and then
because of its short half-lhfe disappear from the body at the end of
the 60 or 80 days because your daily intake would keep yourlevel up
or the ratio of your level up continuously at that level that you show.
Dr. Comar. That is right. Potassium has such a long physical
_ half-life that removal by decayis insignificant. So it is only removed
by biological processesthat effect the situation.
Chairman Houirretp. Andthe daily intake replenishes the amount
of deterioration to the point where you can almost say that strikes
a level’
Dr. Comar. That is right. The body burdens of potassium 40 can
easily be calculated. I don’t have them at hand, but these are known.
Representative Price. Mr. Ramey.
Mr. Ramey. In view of this large amount of radiation from potassium you would not advocate cutting potassium out of the diet, would
you? It is an essential part of the human mechanism,isn’t it?
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Dr. Comar. Myfeeling is that the levels of radioactivity are such
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that they should not cause anyone to make any modification in diet
other than for health purposes. That is, health from a nutritional
standpoint.
Mr. Ramey. Potassium is a part of every fertilizer that is sold. It
is essential to the structure of crops and so on.
Representative Price. Senator Aiken.
Senator Arken. Dr. Comar, in addition to the elements which you
have shown on the chart, doesn’t the human being carry around a
considerable amount of phosphorus and arsenic and other deadly
elements in his body at all times in addition to these?
Dr. Comar. Yes. Of course, one has to be careful how you define
“deadly.” Ifa man is dropped in the middle of the ocean, water is
deadly. But if he ison a desert,it is not.
Senator Arken. Nevertheless, the human body contains substantial
amounts of phosphorus which would be deadly if taken by itself and
also arsenic?
Dr. Comar. Yes. This comparison has been restricted simply to
radioactivity.
Senator Arken. Are there any other radioactive elements which
are taken into the body ?
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