tained as a check on film-badge exposures. In several cases personnel exposures were revalued
from information gathered from these preentry forms. Several instances were noted in which

individual film badges had high readings of exposure, but investigation revealed that the film
badges had been left in highly contaminated areas and did not represent actual exposure.
The limitation of exposures to the test Maximym Permissible Exposure (MPE) of 3.9 r
encountered many difficulties due to certain set policies of “burning up” personnel and then

not using them in contaminated areas. The practice of using men continuously in contaminated

areas until the records reached the MPE led to a high number of individuals with exposures be-

tween 3.9 and 5.0 r. The practice of returning personnel to home stations before the completion
of the operations necessitated a number of waiver requests for exposure of 3.9 r. A small num-

ber of TG 7.1 or 7,5 personnel exceeded a two-calendar-quarter MPE of 7.8 r.
4.6.5

Laboratory Element

The laboratory element acted to provide technical service to all agencies of the Task Force
and consisted of the following:
1. Radiochemical Section.

The center of operations for this section was a Signal Corps -

radiochemical laboratory trailer located on the hangar deck of the USS Bairoko. A smaller
installation was operated at the Rad-Safe building on Parry for analysis of samples obtained at
Eniwetok Atoll. This section received, prepared, and assayed solid and liquid samples submitted by other elements of the Joint Task Force as well as those samples arising from the
activities of this Task Unit. Results were furnished in accordance with the request of persons
submitting the sample and included such information as decay rates, specific activities, beta
energies, gamma energies, and rerticle-size determinations of air-borne and water-borne

activities,

2. Photodosimetry and Records Section, Two fiim-badge processing points were established and ran concurrently during the entire operation. The photodosimetry section afloat operated in a laboratory type trailer adjacent to the radiochemical trailer on the USS Bairoko.
The photodosimetry section ashore operated in the Rad-Safe building, Parry. Film bedges
were calibrated against Co®, and only gamma dosages were recorded. Du Pont packet 559 was
used;'controls and standards were developed with each batch of film processed. At the completion of the operation a master list of exposures was prepared, A report of exposure for
each civilian participating was sent to his home station, whereas in the case of military personnel this report was made to the appropriate military organization. The final repository for the
records of exposure will be the AEC Division of Biology and Medicine.

3. Electronics Section.

This section supported the activities of the above sections by the

repair and maintenance of densitometers, voliage regulators, scalers, count-rate meters, and

scintillation counters. Individual survey type instruments were repaired as soon as practicable
after breakdown, In addition, instruments issued and utilized by this Task Unit were calibrated
and serviced at regular intervals throughout the operation.
4.6.6

Decontamination Eleinent

The Task Unit operated personnel decontamination stations at Parry and aboard the
Bairoko, Ainsworth, and Curtiss. No significant skin contamination was noted in personnel
processed through these stations.
Equipment decontamination became a maior activity at Parry following Shrimp. Vacuum

cleaning, water washing, and steam cleaning were acco:nplished in a newly constructed decontamination area. Decontamination of various items from survey instruments to laboratory
trailers was practically accomplished. Equipment was released to using agencies when de-

eA

contaminated to 15 mr/hr.

It was noted during these decontamination procedures that the current instruments were
only measuring about one-half of the total radiation present. It was also noted that the protective clothing was absorbing apg: aximately one-haif of the total incident radiation. The extremely low energy of the residual radiation niade sealing practices very acceptable.

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