SESSION Ii! 123 ROOT: They would be closer to the ground radiation and would get a bigger dose, wouldn't they—in addition to the fact that the organ itselfis smaller? They would be at the level of the most intense radiation. CONARD: That's true. That probably increased their whole body dose somewhat, but this would be negligible compared to the incicase in the absorption of radioiodines into their glands, and that is the biggest factor by far. In other words, 700 to 1400 rad radiation came from radioiodine absorbed compared to only 175 of whole-body radiation, and if you want to assume that the children were getting a little more, you might increase it to 200 or so. ROOT: They would be crawling around at the age of 15 months probably. CONARD: ‘Yes. FREMONT-SMITH: Would their thyroids be in a stage of development where they would absorb a greater percentage from a given dose of iodine? CONARD: I think it's assumed that their glands absorb as n.uchas the adult, but being amaller, the same dose is distributed in a smaller gland. FREMONT-SMIIH: Right. So this means per gram of gland they were absorbing more. CONARD: Right. They were getting a higher dose. BRUES: Is there also a poasibility that the thyroid in these children would be close enough tothe skin that the beta dose would be greater, or at least would be appreciable while not as appreciable in the adult? CONARD: We didn't feel that that was the case, Austin, because the beta radiation was so soft that it was attenuated in only less than a milliliter of the skin. CASARETT: Bob, were these nodules appearing in relation to the onset of pubescence in most of these cases? Could the pubescence period and the endocrine disturbance associated with it be a stimulating factor in the production of nodules at the time they did appear,