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BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
a

~ “fallout from tests at NTS. Results of analyses completed by the end of the quarter are given
below. These values are substantially lower than values for these areas derived from theo"retical calculations. The difference between the actual and expected strontlum 90 content may

result from such factors as weathering and low rainfall in these areas and from the fact that
strontium 90 tends to form a smaller percentage of nearby fallout than predicted from tables
of theoretical composition of mixed fission products.
.
”
Strontium 90.

Location

" (millicuries per square mile)

Templute, Nevada
Cedar City, Utah.
Lund, Nevada
Beaver, Utah
. .

Eureka, Nevada ,

St. George, Utah. .
Alamo, Nevada
Bishop, California
Caliente, Nevada

—_
;

.

42.3
36.2
30.7
29.6

'

25.6

24.10
15.3
14.9
14.6

Overton, Nevada

9.7

Mesquite, Nevada

Barstow, California

5.2

:

1.98

For comparison, values for some other locations in the United States are given below. It
will be noted that the values forsoils collected around NTSare not significantly different from
the values for these other locations.

Location
Memphis, Tennessee

Rapid City, South Dakota

New Orleans, Louisiana
Detroit, Michigan

Rochester, New York.
Seattle, Washington

Strontium 90

_

—

‘Los Angeles, California

(millicuries per square mile)
:

oo
,

38.0

/

31.7

_.

30.4
29.9
27.9

27.5

8.3

(Values obtained from other locations were all within the
range shown above.)
‘

PREPARATION FOR LARGE-SCALE RADIOEPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES

DOE ARCHIVES

About 30 scientists engaged in human radiobiologic studies attended a meeting at AEC
headquarters in September to advise on planning for large-scale studies of the effects of lowJevel environmental radiation on human populations. Effort was made to design investigative
procedures for measuring general fitness and the effects that environmental radiation may
have on fitness. Particular attention was given to leukemia induced by radiation and to the
effects of radiation at different altitudes. The first part of the meeting was devoted to review
of the status of studies dealing with “ready-made” human radiobiologic situations, such 28
those at Hiroshima and the Marshall Islands and those presented by accident cases, radium

UNCLASSIFIED

Department of Boe

49

Select target paragraph3