BADIOISOTOPES — AEBERSOLD 239 



of the radioactive atoms will get into the oil. Periodic sampling and 

 radioactivity analysis of the oil lubricant will show just how much the 

 ring is wearing away by friction. 



In summing up the industrial use of radioisotopes as stationary 

 sources of radiation, we should mention the radioactive liquid-level 

 gage used in measuring the level of molten metal in a cupola and the 

 radioactive density gage used in measuring the water content of moun- 

 tain snowpacks in remote areas and the silt and mud content of water 

 in front of power dams. Additional examples of applications based 

 on using radioisotopes as movable sources of radiation include the 

 detection of leaks in water lines and the control of acid treatment in 

 oil wells. 



As tracers in industrial studies, radioisotopes have also been used 

 to test the efficiency of washing machines, to follow the movement 

 of preservatives in telephone poles, to study the action of detergents, 

 to investigate the mechanism of such industrial processes as vulcaniza- 

 tion and polymerization, to study the synthetic production of gasoline, 

 to investigate the raising of bread, and to help solve a host of other 

 industrial problems. 



THE FUTURE OF RADIOISOTOPES 



We can certainly expect a much wider use of radioisotopes in the 

 future. They are being produced in sufficient quantities to make them 

 available to everybody who has a need for them and who knows how 

 to use them. They are becoming recognized by scientists everywhere 

 as a valuable and necessary tool. Old uses, like the radioiodine 

 treatment of hyperthyroidism and the radioisotope gaging of thick- 

 nesses, are becoming routine procedures in hundreds of institutions. 

 New uses keep appearing on the scene. Manufactures are continually 

 improving the design and performance of radiation instruments and 

 handling devices. Better techniques are being developed for getting 

 more out of the sensitivity and precise labeling of the isotope method. 



There is little doubt that radioisotopes are one of the most valuable 

 analytical tools now known. Yet not nearly as many chemists or 

 biologists or engineers use isotopes as could profitably do so. We need 

 more people trained in the use of isotopes — people who can apply this 

 new tool to tomorrow's problems in medicine, science, and technology — 

 more "isotopologists." But the need goes further than this. A rapidly 

 expanding atomic-energy program, for instance, needs many more 

 young scientists and engineers who know and want to work with 

 radioactivity. Our whole national security and national welfare to- 

 day are more dependent than ever on advancements in science. The 



