326 OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE UNITED STATES 



sequently more dangerous wastes are stored in undergi-ound, steel 

 tanks on land. Current research on processes for treating these wastes 

 to make them safer to handle and use are all pointed to some method 

 of storage or disposal on land. Dr. Lieberman undoubtedly will 

 discuss the subject at gi'eater length. 



The Commission is primarily interested in the development of 

 uses of radioactive isotopes that may contribute substantially to the 

 fund of scientific knowledge, as well as to the production of more foo<;l 

 from the oceans. The value of tracer quantities of radioactive ma- 

 terials in the solution of problems of living functions of organisms 

 can hardly be overemphasized. 



Oceanographic assistance, principally in the way of conferences, 

 has been given by the Commission to Japan, to Canada, to the United 

 Kingdom, to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to other 

 countries and groups of countries. It is anticipated that such co- 

 operation must continue, since obviously the ocean cannot be separated 

 into isolated compartments for study or for use. 



It has been estimated that in case of a nuclear war, one of the least 

 contaminated sources of food will be the sea because of the tremendous 

 volume of water that, through natural mixing processes, will greatly 

 reduce the concentration of added contaminants. It is obvious that 

 studies must be undertaken to assess more accurately the level of 

 radioactivity that may be absorbed by the ocean without detrimental 

 effects. 



It has been pointed out (NAS/NRC Publication 551) that the con- 

 centration of certain elements by organisms, along with gravitational 

 effects on their excreta and dead remains, as well as their migi^ations, 

 result in a circulation of these elements that is different from the 

 circulation of the water. 



What Dr. Wallen has in mind here is that the radioisotopes could 

 not be traced merely by following the currents. The biota play 

 an important part in the distribution of radioisotopes in the ocean. 



A number of elements are concentrated in the bodies of organisms 

 by several orders of magnitude over their abundance in sea water. 

 Radioisotopes of some of these elements may be concentrated in man's 

 aquatic foods. Ion exchange and sedimentation of particulate matter 

 will remove some radioisotopes; however, in near shore areas these 

 may be recycled by bottom feeding organisms. 



The general outline of the Commission's research efforts, concerned 

 with radioactivity in the oceans, was suggested by the National 

 Academy of Sciences "Report on Oceanography, 19G0 to 1970," and 

 inserted in the Congressional Record of February 17, 1959. We pre- 

 viously presented two papers covering the broad aspects of this pro- 

 gram to the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy (Fallout Hearings, 

 May 5-8, 1959). These two papers were, first, "The Atomic Energy 

 Program in Oceanograj)hy and Marine Biolog}'," prepared by Dr. I. E. 

 Wallen, acpuitic biologisl, Division of Biology and Medicine, U.S. 

 Atomic Energy Conunission. This paper was presented as appendix 

 C of the "Statement on Fallout" prepared by the Director of the 

 Division of Biology' and ISIedicine, Dr. C. L. Dunham. The second 

 paper was entitled "Fallout in the Ocean," and of this paper I was 

 the author. 



The objectives of the Commission's research program are as follows : 



One of the objectives is to detemiine the effects of the accumula- 



