220
FIELD
THE SHORTER-TERM BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS OF A FALLOUT
are also related to clinical observation and eval-
uation, A consensus of this information and
available instrumentation determines the opera-
tional techniques.
Operational plans are then
based upon techniques, objectives, and location.
The summarized data are then available for
emergency action, future detonation planning,
and public health evaluation.
Another activity that test organizations provide for and which is very beneficial in reducing
the total radiation load of the population is the
matter of providing emergency measures in case
the unexpected takes place. This has been done,
Tknow, both in Nevada andin the Pacific, and T
thinkit is an important public health service.
As we movefrom that point, wefind that the
responsibility and work load begins to become
more diffuse,
It is necessary to think about
public relations and pseudo as well as real injuries to people. Jt is expected that most of the
complaints and mostof the reported injuries in
the area around thetest site in Nevada and in
the Pacific will not be actually due to radiation.
However, in this country those who can hest
help you explain whathas actually occurred in a
community or in individual cases are those
agencies which we refer to as the local medical
service agencies and the public health agencies.
Thus the public health services enter the weapons test. picture.
As a test period terminates, the radiation
persists. Other factors affecting the test organizations and the detonations persist with
the radiation. Some of these are manifestations of radioactivity that have both a public
health and economic import.
Typical are questionsrelated to milk supplies.
People are concerned about the radioactivity
in their milk. They are particularly concerned
about the strontium in their milk.
The photo-
graphic industry is concerned about particles
on photographic paper.
Theyare not so much
concerned about total activity associated with
particles,
Another affected group is the nuclear in-
dustry. Generally it must meet maximum
permissible concentration standards for dis-
PUBLIC HEALTH IMPLICATIONS OF SHORT TERM HAZARDS
221
charge of radioactivity into the environment.
As theactivity from our weapons tests and from
foreign tests continues to increase, the radiological latitude which they have diminishes.
Another broad aren of importance is: the
question of Jong term effects of radioactivity.
small matter to be handled between himself
and his physician, or whether it is beyond the
scope of his personal resources. In a few
instances where only one acule exposure has
occurred and weapons tests are a factor, he
might seek some type of compensation directly
through the increased exposure to radiation of
We know qualitatively that radiation
is an officer or employee of the Department. of
Defense, he has available a relatively compleic
system of hospital and medical care services
both before and after discharge. Survivors’
Dr. Hensnaw. Some of the health problems
Here we enter an area: which is not clearly
defined.
can increase the eaneer rates under certain
conditions. We knowthatit may cause genetic
effects and we knowit could change our aging
pattern, and might change such things as thyroid function. However, as efforts are made
to assess these quantitatively in population
groups, normality must. first he determined.
from the Atomic Energy Commission.
If he
benefita for active duty officer personnel are
also available, However, the person notassociated with the AECor the military organizations is in a much weaker position to take care
This is difficult. Is the cancer incidence in
anyform actuallyincreasing? If it is, what is
of himself in case of an unfortunate incident.
thyroidism increasing orisn't it, and how would
tions as the Social Security Administration
Is hypo-
He has his individual resources, and he has
public hospitalization. He has such organiza-
we expect this to manifest itself in terms of
population groups? If it does, what are the
normal levels for these particular clinical
which provides benefits for him and his family
in many instances. In other cases, the State
compensation laws are applicable. But in
the eause?
Is radiation the cause?
manifestations
population?
that
seem
to
affect
our
If we have determined in a given situation
that radiation has caused some increase in an
observable way, then the sources become more
important. However, their determination for
a specific injury or group of injuries may be
the broad picture, the individual has no one
place to go and no specific resource to fall back
on.
He fails back on the health and welfare
resources of the communities as they exist
today.
Thus there is a very broad area of potential
difficult. These are some of the things that
make the problem of radiological public health
responsibility in case these acute effects that
you folks have discussed here today, create
directly or synergistically public health effects
making measurements and having data in a
physical sense. It is a matter of being able
to assess these data in termsof effects on people.
Since my time is up, I should like to remind
some of you, and tell others who are not
particularly difficult.
It is not as simple as
If a person is injured due to someradiation
exposure complex involving the concept of
total dose, who is actually responsible, and
what systems are available for that person lo
seek help or to receive some financial reimbursement. for his difficulties?
I will name someof these, and I think you
will see that the problem is complex, and no
one group or no oneindividual bears this total
responsibility.
In
most
cases,
an
injured
person first. looks to his own resources.
He
tries to determine whether this is a relatively
of a measureable type.
familiar with the activities of the Public Health
Service, that in addition to following through
these administrative relationships which are
very important to all of us, the Service does
carry on a broad system of training, research,
and support of public health organizations and
medical care facilities which can help solve
many public health problems which may he
created either through military operations or
an occupational or medical type in the future.
DISCUSSION
J. G. Terrill
are international in character.
Waste disposal
into the sea is just one. I would like to ask
whether any developments are under way for
cooperation at the international level, say at
the World Health Organization?
Dr. Terriwn. Yes, there are developments
under way within the Public Health Service
and within the World Health Organization. I
would have mentioned those except for the
nature of this meeting. But briefly I will outline these for your information.
The Public Health Service is the WHO representative for the United States. About a
year and a half ago after conference with
Dr. Dunhamof the AEC and Lauriston Taylor
of the International Committee on Radiation
Protection, it was decided to make every
effort to integrate the international activities
that Dr. Taylor had undertaken over the past
years into the WHO organization. J should
say organization system. This has been undertaken, and I understand it has been approved
by both groups. This group in turn has set. up
a committee that has studied the matter of
waste disposal among other things, and also
another major concern has been the matter of
training,
Our Division of International Health
in the Public Health Service is cooperating
with both WHO and to some degree with the
International Division of AEC and the Division
of Biology and Medicine, in aneffort to acquaint
people throughout the world with our knowledge in waste disposal areas in particular, and
in a broadtraining sense generally. Does that
answer your question?