1179
laboratory procedure. But now we can do the same thing with instruments tha‘ are stationary.
CURRENT METHONE OF MONITORING
Mr. Drxcan. Wihe:about the measurement of the Jevels of resin
in the body
e
Bibtmerst ds that increasing in Sophistication so
at your measures can detect levels that weir previously undetect-
able?
Let me answer that a little differently. Severa! vears ago
no one would have thought you could take a whole body counter into
the field. Now it is engineered to be taken out into the field.
Mr. Dexcan. You did early in 1975. But your first whole body count
began in
tr. McCraw. 74,
Bi{r-Yates Js that when roufirst detected the increase?
Mr. McCram, That is the first measurement of cesiumin people. We
hedpreditiedwhat the levels would be.
Mr. Dcxcax, Were your measurements in accordance with the prediction?
Mr McCaw Yes. Al! of the surveys that we have done have tende.]
to suppom the earlier findings. We have gotten & better body of data
and more confidence in the radiation doses we are predicting. and wc
are looking e* the actual items of the diet and do not have to rely on
estimates of radioactivity in the foods that the people are eating.
Mr. Dexcan. But your whole body counts in 74 were not alarming.
Tt wasn't until you went back in ‘75 with your major resurveythat you
aew tho mse bepn f
or
McCess, In 1975 we began to predict higher doses on the basis
of samples we had collected. In 1977 when the second whole bodycount
was done the levels were a factor of ten higher than in 1974.
FEDERAL @6TANDARDS AND CURRENT BIKIN) LEVELS
Mr. Yares. 4 bove the Federal] xandards?
Mi McCriw. If I might explain about the standards. There are two
numbers. One is for the Joca! population. The other is for an individual
where you know the individual's expcsure. We have not exceeded that
individual number. We have seen levels approaching this lower number for the general
ulation. We feel tha: we can use the higher
number or the standard because we are actually measuring the levels
of radioactivity in individuals in the population. We know the distri:
bution We know the highs and we knowthe lows.
Mr. Yares. Whois to oay that the Federa! standards are accurate?
How do you know the Federal] standards are acceptable?
TDEsL. We don't.
r. Yatus. Why do you establish standards and aay if you come to
“he eendard everything is fine, and if you
above this standard it is
i lus How co you know the Federa] standards are not carcinogenic?
Mr Drav I think in the radiation protection field that we are concernedWITE we have another philosophy which is the lowes practicable solution to a problem and it is believed that the people who
work with radiation will not receive——
5011525