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86
RADIATION STANDARDS, INCLUDING FALLOUT
The next three charts present data that demonstrate this by the
comparison in three cities of levels of Sr®° per gram of calcium in a
typical total diet, in the milk contained in the diet, and in the nonmilk components.
Senator Aiken. May I ask, what do you mean when you say plant
foods of a higher strontium 90 ratio in a typical diet and milk has
a lower value?
What do you mean by lower value? “Lower value as far as accumulation of strontium is concerned.
Dr. Comar. This refers to the actual strontium 90 to calcium ratio
in the milk as compared to plant foods. Carrying your question
further, as far as we know,the ratio in the body will reflect that in
the diet, whether it originates from the plant or whetherit originates
from the milk.
This is illustrated further by the charts which were taken from the
Tri-City study carried out by the Health and Safety Laboratory of
the AEC in New York. On can see very readily here that the milk
values are lower in terms of strontium 90 per gram of calcium.
; The nonmilk components of the diet were higher than the diet,
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itself.
Senator A1xen. That chart was not prepared by the New York City
Health Department, wasit ?
Dr. Comar. This chart was prepared by our staff from the data
that was published by the HASHlaboratories.
Senator Aiken. By what laboratory ?
Dr. Comar. The Health and Safety Laboratories of New York. It
is an AEC laboratory. May I have the next chart? That was for
New York.
The samesituation for Chicago. And the same for San Francisco.
The values on the ordinate are picocuries or micromicrocuries of
strontium 90 per gram of calcium, and time on the abscissa, 1960
through 1961.
Representative Price. Doctor, I think what Senator Aiken is probably trying to get at, is whether or not this reflects a favorable situation for milk as against plants or a nonfavorable situation.
Whatdoes it reflect?
Dr. Comar. I would think it would indicate that a person drinking
more milk would develop a lower body burden of strontium 90.
Senator Arken. That is what I thought. I thought the New York
City Board of Health issued a statement about a month ago to the
contrary which was not well received throughout New York State,
incidentally.
Dr. Comar. The State board of health, of course, is an entirely
different organization from the health and safety laboratory of the
commission.
Senator Aiken. [ think it is the city laboratory that issued the
statement.
Dr. Comar. Iam not familiar with the statement and I would have
to read it to be able to comment onit.
Senator Aiken. Can you explain why, we will say certain pacifist
eroups, concentrate on milk as being the principal malefactor in the
cet.
For instance, I know that they have a sheet of poems they sing
and stories they are supposed to tell to their groups. I can recall
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