28 MARINE SCIENCE 



The answers to the first of these questions — ^the one regarding radia- 

 tion damage to man — have been expressed in the publications of the 

 National and the International Commission on Radiological Protec- 

 tion, and in the publications of the six National Academy of Sciences- 

 National Research Council coromittees that examined various aspects 

 of biological effect of atomic radiations — the so-called BEAR Com- 

 mittee reports. 



The National Commission on Radiological Protection has examined 

 the available information concerning the somatic damage to man 

 associated with various quantities and kinds of radioactive material 

 in man and in his immediate environment, and has made recommenda- 

 tions giving the maximum permissible body burden above which 

 damage is likely to occur and below which man can expect to suffer 

 no impairment of his normal biological functions for a period of at 

 least 40 years. These data have been used as the basis for computing 

 values of the maximum permissible concentrations of radioactive 

 materials in drinking water and food. 



The genetics panel of the NAS-NRC BEAR Committee has ex- 

 amined the available information concerning the genetic effects of 

 radiation and has recommended — 



The Committee continues to recommend that for the general population, the 

 average gonadal dose accumulated during the first 30 years of life should not 

 exceed 10 r of manmade radiation, and should be kept as far below this as is 

 practicable. This is in essential agreement with the most recent suggestion of 

 the International Commission on Radiological Protection. 



The Chairman. What do you mean by 10 r ? 



Mr. Carritt. 10 r is 10 rem — a measure of radiation. The average 

 dental X-ray for example, produces a little less than one-half rem of 

 X-ray radiation. 



The recommendations concerning permissible levels have formed 

 the basis for some of the recommendations and conclusions in five 

 National Academy of Sciences-National Research Council studies 

 dealing with radioactivity and the oceans. The results of four of 

 these studies have been published. 



The first of these NAS-NRC publications. No. 551, entitled "The 

 Effects of Atomic Radiation on Oceanography and Fisheries," was 

 published in 1957 as one of the so-called BEAR Committee reports. 



Publications No. 655 and No. 658 entitled "Radioactive Waste Dis- 

 posal Into Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Waters," and "Radioactive 

 Waste Disposal From Nuclear Powered Ships," respectfully, were 

 published in 1959. 



A fourth study dealing with radioactive waste disposal along the 

 Pacific coast is now very nearly ready for publication. Basically all 

 of these studies are an attempt to bring together all of the pertinent 

 information regarding the physics, biology, chemistry, and geology of 

 the seas to show the pathways and the rates of return of radioactivity 

 to man in terms of the location of disposal and the rate of disposal. 



Theoretically, we would limit the rate of disposal into any ocean 

 area to that corresponding to a rate of return to man that would give 

 the maximum permissible levels mentioned above. In actual practice 

 the suggested maximum rates of disposal are certainly hundred of 

 times, and very likely thousands of times below the rates that would 

 approach these limits. 



