U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE BACKGROUND STATEMENT ON WHEAT The 1958 and 1959 wheat production was 1,461,714,000 and 1,128,151,000 bushels, respectively. As of December 31, 1959, the total stocks of wheat were 1,820,500,000 bushels. Of this amount 1,109,200,000 bushels were in CCC stocks; 305,300,000 bushels were pledged for loans; and 406,000,000 bushels were in commercial channels. Principal Uses of Wheat Patent flour is made by combining the more refined flour streams. It represents from 40 to 95 percent of the total flour yield and consists of about 48 to 50 percent of the wheat berry. It contains the least amount of bran and germ. It is high in protein and preferred in the baking industry. Clear flour is the balance of the flour streams following the cutting off of the patents. The first clear flour represents about 7 percent of the wheat berry. It is used in the baking industry for rye and whole wheat breads. The second clear flour represents about 4 percent of the wheat berry and is used for industrial purposes. The germ represents about 2 percent of the wheat kernel. It is high in germ oil and the best carrier of Vitamin E. It is used by some processors for making certain types of breads to increase nutritional value; however, most of the germ goes into livestock feed. Shorts consist mostly of the fine particles of wheat bran and wheat germ. Shorts are finer than bran and used for livestock feed. Bran is the outer covering or shell of the kernel of wheat and is the largest in particle size. It is not used very much in human food, RADIATION PROTECTION 613 except for breakfast cereals. It is also used in whole wheat bread. amount of bran consumed as whole wheat flour products and as breakfast cereals is estimated to be about 1.8 grans per person per day. A oneserving package of 40% bran breakfast food would furnish less than 12 grams of bran. The Strontium 90 in Wheat Available evidence indicates that in 1958 the major fraction of strontium 90 found in wheat was directly absorbed through the outer layer of the kernel, this coming from atmospheric deposition. Some is absorbed through other parts of the plant. The relative contribution of strontium from various parts of the plant is dependent upon the existing conditions, such as atmospheric deposition, accumulation in the soil, and the weather. Studies reveal, however, that of the amount of strontium absorbed by the leaves of the plant only very little is transported to other parts of the plant. The strontium in bran used for livestock feed is not posing a problem at this time. The total diet of livestock includes bonemeal and inorganic minerala as the principal sources of calcium. Research with the dairy animal has established the fact that milk contains about one-tenth of the amount of strontium that is consumed in the feed. Since strontium is deposited in the bones, it does not provide a problem in the meat of the beef animal. April 1960 Pursuant to Executive Order 10831 and P. L, 86-373 the Federal Radiation Council has made a study of the hazards and use of radiation. We herewith transmit our first report to you concerning our findings and our recommendations for the guidance of Federal agencies in the conduct of their radiation protection activities. It is the statutory responsibility of the Council to "... advise the President with respect to radiation matters, directly or indirectly affecting health, including guidance for all Federal agencies in the formulation of radiation standards and in the establishment and execution of programs of cooperation with States... Fundamentally, setting basic radiation protection standards involves passing judgment on the extent of the possible health hazard society is willing to accept in order to realize the known benefits of radiation. It involves inevitably a balancing between total health protection, which might require foregoing any activities increasing exposure to radiation, and the vigorous promotion of the use of radiation and atomic energy in order to achieve optimum benefits. The Federal Radiation Council has reviewed available knowledge on radiation effects and consulted with scientists within and outside the Government. Each member has also examined the guidance recommended in this memorandum in light of his statutory responsibilities, Although the guidance does not cover all phases of radiation protection, such as internal emitters, we find that the guidance which we recommend that you provide for the use of Federal agencies gives appropriate consideration to the requirements of health protection and the beneficial uses of radiation and atomic energy. Our further findings and recommendations follow, RADIATION PROTECTION 615 Discussion The fundamental problem in establishing radiation protection guides is to allow as much of the beneficial uses of ionizing radiation as possible while assuring that man is not exposed to undue hazard. To get a true insight into the scope of the problem and the impact of the decisions involved, a review of the benefits and the hazards is necessary. It is important in considering both the benefits and hazards of radiation to appreciate that man has existed throughout his history in a bath of natural radiation, This background radiation, which varies over the earth, provides a partial basis for understanding the effects of radiation on man and serves as an indicator of the ranges of radiation exposures within which the human population has developed and increased. The Benefits of Ionizing Radiation Radiation properly controlled is a boon to mankind. It has been of inestimable value in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. It can provide sources of energy greater than any the world has yet had available. In industry, it is used as a tool to measure thickness, quantity or quality, to discover hidden flaws, to trace liquid flow, and for other purposes. So many research uses for ionizing radiation have been found that scientists in many diverse fields now rank radiation with the microscope in value as a working tool, The Hazards of Ionizing Radiation Ionizing radiation involves health hazards just as do many other useful tools. Scientific findings concerning the biological effects of radiation of most immediate interest to the establishment of radiation protection standards are the following: 616 RADIATION PROTECTION 1. 2. Acute doses of radiation may produce immediate or de- As acute whole body doses increase above approximately 25 rems (units of radiation dose), immediately observable effects increase in severity with dose, beginning from barely detectable changes, to biological signs clearly indicating damage, to death at levels of a few hundred rems. 3. Delayed effects produced either by acute irradiation or by 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The delayed effects from radiation are in general in- Delayed effects include genetic effects (effects transmitted to succeeding generations), increased incidence of tumors, lifespan shortening, and growth and development changes. The child, the infant, and the unborn infant appear to be The various organs of the body differ in their sensitivity Although ionizing radiation can induce genetic and somatic effects (effects on the individual during his lifetime other than genetic effects), the evidence at the present time is insufficient to justify precise conclusions on the nature of the dose-effect relationship at low doses and dose rates. Moreover, the evidence is insufficient to prove either the hypothesis of a "damage threshold" (a point below which no damage occurs) or the hypothesis of "no threshold" in man at low doses. |