a

< vediation with’‘particular‘emphasis “onefforts,to:‘obtain¢an“active
‘tective substance’ from normal:Hseues 8,

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Research on beryllium poisoning. TheUniversity of Rochest
3
; Atomic
Energy Project has developed a method for the production of a beryllium
‘oxide fume by using a beryllium metal arc burning in an oxygen-argdn
atmosphere. The fumes consist of extremely small particles approaching [C.01
microns.
Preliminary animal exposure studies showed that reasonab]k
amounts of the material were deposited and retained in the lung.
e
finding of small quantities of beryllium deposited in the femur and none
in the pulmonary lymph nodes appears to suggest that removal of thd deposited material from the lungs is by solubility rather than phago tosis.

(See report UR-174. )

This is a real step forward in the Commission's efforts to

qolve

the problem of chronic beryllium poisoning.

Control of beryllium hazards.
The revised “Recommendations Jfor
Control of Beryllium Hazards," which are essentially the same as t¥ose

issued last year, were sent by memorandum from the General ManagerJ[to

10, 1951.

Production of ultra-violet light by ionizing radiation.

August

Infa re-

port from the UCLA Atomic Energy Project (UCLA-127), Dr. Andrew H.|Dowdy

has been able to demonstrate the production of ultra-violet light

Im dis-

tilled water by ionizing radiation using the gamma rays of radium

$s a

SS

Managers of Operations Offices and Washington Division Directors of

source. The production of ultra-violet light by ionizing radiatio has
been suspected for some time, but this is the first time that this] process
has been demonstrated.

meee

Radioactive faliout from BUSTER and JANGLE.
Plans are beinkk
made
for nationwide monitoring of radioactive fallout and air contaminakion
during the fall series of tests in Nevada. While no health hazardj is
anticipated beyond the test area, these observations will assist ih estimating fallout and in evaluating possible hazards in future tests,f and in

safeguarding sensitive industries such as the photographic.

,

The program will be coordinated by the New York Operations Pffice
Health and Safety Division, and they will be prepared to issue stdtements
and answer queries, based on observations to be made in 50 cr mord locations about the country.
AEC laboratories, the U. S. Weather Burdax, and
the U. S. Air Farce are planning to participate in the collection Fand
analysis of rainfall and dust samples, in plotting the passage of Ftrce
radioactive clouds across the country, and in correlating the amoymt of
radioactive material at the earth's surface with the degree of cojeentra-

pms

tion in the air above.

Son

nt ee

Biophysics Branch

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