Radioactive Artifacts: Historical Sources of Modern Radium Contamination.

Radium has been distributed in a wide variety of devices during the early part of this century. Antique objects containing significant amounts of radium turn up at flea markets, antique shows, and antique dealers, in a variety of locations. These objects include radium in devices which were used by legitimate medical practitioners for legitimate medical purposes such as therapy, as well as a wide variety of "quack cures." These devices may contain anywhere from a few nanocuries to as much as several hundred microcuries of radium. In addition to medical sources, a large variety of scientific instruments utilize radium in luminous dials. These instruments include compasses, azimuth indicators, and virtually any object which might require some form of calibration. In addition, the consumer market utilized a large amount of radium in the production of wrist watches, pocket watches, and clocks with luminous dials. Some of these watches contained as much as 4.5 µCi of radium, and between 1913 and 1920 about 70 gm was produced for the manufacture of luminous compounds. In addition to the large amount of radium produced for scientific and consumer utilization, there were a number of materials produced which were claimed to contain radium but in fact did not, further adding to the confusion in this area. The wide availability of radium is a result of the public's great fascination with radioactivity during the early part of this century and a belief in its curative properties. A number of objects were produced in order to trap the emanations of radium in water for persons to drink in order to benefit from their healing effects. Since the late 20s and early 30s the public's attitude towards radiation has shifted 180° and it is now considered an extremely dangerous and harmful material. However, even as late as the 1950s, there were still some items produced containing radioactivity which today would be unthinkable. The "Buck Rogers Mystery Ring" of the 1950s was activated with polonium. With the shift in public attitudes towards radioactivity, and increasing problems in disposal of radioactive materials, the disposal of radium presents a particularly perplexing problem. The radium which was produced in the early part of the century is still around in various forms and is extremely difficult to dispose of. All objects discovered claiming to contain radium should be taken seriously and should be properly surveyed. They then should either be stored in some area where the environment is protected from the radioactivity or if a very small amount of radium is present, they may be disposed of through one of several commercial sources. Any significant amount of radium is extraordinarily difficult and expensive to dispose of and there are only limited sites which will accept these materials. No clear cut, uniform mechanism for the handling of radioactive materials which turn up outside of the usual institutional sources, is currently in place.

Shaping Vulnerable Bodies at the Thin Boundary between Environment and Organism: Skin, DNA Repair, and a Genealogy of DNA Care Strategies.

This paper brings together the history of risk and the history of DNA repair, a biological phenomenon that emerged as a research field in between molecular biology, genetics, and radiation research in the 1960s. The case of xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), an inherited hypersensitivity to UV light and, hence, a disposition to skin cancer will be the starting point to argue that, in the 1970s and 1980s, DNA repair became entangled in the creation of new models of the human body at risk - what is here conceptually referred to as the vulnerability aspect of body history - and new attempts at cancer prevention and enhancement of the body associated with the new flourishing research areas of antimutagenesis and anticarcinogenesis. The aim will be to demonstrate that DNA repair created special attempts at disease prevention: molecular enhancement, seeking to identify means to increase the self-repair abilities of the body at the molecular level. Prevention in this sense meant enhancing the body's ability to cope with the environmental hazards of an already toxic world. This strategy has recently been adopted by the beauty industry, which introduced DNA care as a new target for skin care research and anti-aging formulas.

[Early medical consequences of the radiation accidents in the former USSR Territory].

The paper sums up the information on radiation incidents at the former USSR territory, which incidents are related to the human exposure of clinically significant effects. Within more than 60 years (since 1949), at least 356 radiation incidents accompanied by the clinically significant human exposure have happened at the former USSR territory, which has resulted to clinically significant health effects in 765 victims. This exposed cohort includes 348 acute radiation sickness (ARS) patients including cases aggravated by local radiation injuries (LRI). 407 victims were affected by local radiation injuries only. Totally, 71 radiation induced fatalities were observed within first 3-4 months after the irradiation. The maximum adverse effects as a result of accidental exposure of radiation incidents in the former USSR territory, had a place for professional workers whose work is associated with sources of ionizing

Characterization of the world's first nuclear explosion, the Trinity test, as a source of public radiation exposure.

The world's first atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico on 16 July 1945. From 1999 through 2008, scientists working for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gathered information relevant to past releases from Los Alamos activities, including the Trinity test. Detonation on a 30.5 m tower enhanced radioactive fallout, and terrain and wind patterns caused "hot spots" of deposition. Several ranchers reported that fallout resembling flour was visible for 4 to 5 d after the blast, and residents living as close as 19 km from ground zero collected rain water from metal roofs for drinking. Pressures to maintain secrecy and avoid legal claims led to decisions that would not likely have been made in later tests. Residents were not warned before the test or informed afterward about potential protective actions, and no evacuations were conducted. Occupied homes were overlooked on the day of the blast. Exposure rates in residential areas were recorded as high as 1.4 microC kg s (20 R h) using instruments that were crude, ill suited to field use, and incapable of effectively measuring alpha contamination from about 4.8 kg of unfissioned plutonium that was dispersed. Vehicle shielding and contamination were recognized but not corrected for. To date, the post-shot field team measurements have not been rigorously evaluated, cross-checked, adjusted, or subjected to uncertainty analysis. Evaluations of Trinity fallout published to date have not addressed internal doses to members of the public following intakes of contaminated air, water, or foods. The closing of these data gaps appears feasible with the information that has been assembled and would support placement of the Trinity event in perspective as a source of public radiation exposure and more defensible evaluation of the potential for human health effects.

[Radioecology as a branch of natural science: some thoughts on the interesting past, intricate and vital present and future prospects].

The paper describes more than a century-old history of radioecology, science which studies radionuclide migration in the environment and ionizing radiation effects on biota. The main stages are identified in the development of this branch of natural science associated with the study of problems of radioactive contamination of the biosphere (global radionuclide fallout after nuclear weapons tests, radiation accidents with the release of radioactive substances to the environment). Currently, the basic imperative of radioecological investigations is the analysis of radioecological aspects of nuclear power engineering (mainly problems of radioactive waste management). Issues are discussed of radiation protection of biota (environment)--the anthropocentric (sanitary-hygienic) and ecocentric approaches. The importance of radioecology is indicated as the most advanced field of ecology in studying anthropogenic effects on the nature.

History of the radiological health program of the Pan American Health Organization

El programa de radiología y radioprotección de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) se estableció en 1960. En ese entonces, las superpotencias mundiales se enfrascaban en la carrera armamentista; hacían pruebas con armas nuc1eares en la atmósfera y los pueblos y gobiernos del mundo les temían a los efectos de la lluvia radiactiva. Además, se comenzaba a fomentar el uso pacífico de las radiaciones en la medicina, la investigación y la industria, por lo cual se necesitaba una protección adecuada contra estas nuevas formas de energía. Como se señaló en el Informe anual del Director de la OPS, los objetivos de ese nuevo programa de la Organización eran: 1) incentivar la adopción de reglamentos aplicables al uso de las radiaciones en consonancia con las recomendaciones de la Comisión Internacional de Protección Radiológica; 2) promover la enseñanza de la física médica y de la protección radiológica; 3) ayudar a desarrollar las aplicaciones de los radioisótopos en el diagnóstico, el tratamiento y la investigación médica; y 4) impulsar las investigaciones relacionadas con el uso de las radiaciones en la medicina, la salud pública y la veterinaria. Durante casi medio siglo, el programa de radiología y radioprotección de la OPS ha centrado su atención en diversos temas, según las necesidades y prioridades de los Estados Miembros. Para ello siempre ha contado con personal altamente calificado capaz de asesorar a los ministerios de salud acerca de las políticas relacionadas con las aplicaciones sanitarias de las radiaciones, y a las instituciones clínicas acerca de las modalidades radiológicas diagnósticas y terapéuticas más recientes. Como en sus inicios, el programa continúa prestando atención a las siguientes necesidades de la Región: la educación y capacitación del personal de radiología para que aprenda a evaluar, incorporar y utilizar con eficacia y seguridad las nuevas tecnologías; el apoyo gerencial y técnico para fortalecer los...

History of the radiological health program of the Pan American Health Organization

It analyzes the radiological health program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) that was established in 1960 and has undergone various organizational changes.(AU)

History of the radiological health program of the Pan American Health Organization

The radiological health program of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) was established in 1960. Although the program has undergone various organizational changes, it continues to operate to this date. It has been operational through the administrations of five of the Directors of the Pan American Sanitary Bureau (PASB), which is PAHO's Secretariat, and has been located in various PAHO divisions or areas of work. Its program emphasis has evolved with the requirements of the Member States of PAHO. However, the program has essentially remained a unit with activities in research, training, radiation protection, and services in the areas of public health and clinical medicine. (AU)

Radiation risk--historical perspective and current issues.

The assessment of radiation risk needs to be seen against the background of a historical development that has reversed the initial belief in a general beneficial effect of radiation to apprehension and fear. Numerical risk estimates are, today, based on large epidemiological studies, and the observations on the A-bomb survivors are outlined as the primary source of information. Since the epidemiological findings are obtained from relatively high radiation exposures, extrapolations are required to the much lower doses that are relevant to radiation protection. The evolution of extrapolation procedures up to current attempts at mechanistic modelling is outlined, and some of the open issues are reviewed.