situation: But they all come out with the unanimous 

 conclusion that the potential danger is great. 



"This report recommends that the general public of 

 the United States be protected, by whatever controls 

 may prove necessary, from receiving a total repro- 

 ductive lifetime dose (conception to age 30) of more 

 than 10 roentgens of man-made radiation to the 

 reproductive cells. Of this reasonable (not harm- 

 less, mind you, but reasonable) quota of 10 roent- 

 gens over and beyond the inevitable background of 

 radiation from natural causes, we are now using on 

 the average some 3 or 4 roentgens for medical 

 X rays. This is roughly the same as the unavoidable 

 dose received from background radiation." 



Furthermore, it is significant that suggested changes for present 



MPC values would make them smaller. For example, Looney (2) 



shows that the present MPC for radium, from which the MPC for other 



radioisotopes is calculated (in part), may be significantly too high. He 



states in summary: 



"It cannot be concluded from the present information 

 on the effects of radium in man that the present MPC 

 of 0. 1 microgram of radium is permissible. The 

 effects of radium deposited in man in concentrations 

 at or near the present MPC for a period greater than 

 40 years is not known. Extrapolation of the present 

 results to cover a normal life -time indicates that 

 ' appreciable bodily injury' may occur at or below the 

 present MPC. It would seem advisable to consider 

 lowering of the present MPC of radium until informa- 

 tion becomes available on the effects of radium in 

 man over a normal lifetime." 



From the point of viev/ of a committee that must make recom- 

 mendations concerning the release of radioactive substances to the 



