Each of the three main sections of this report was abstracted and indexed separately for ERA/EDB. Also included are short sections entitled: acknowledgements; research objectives; introduction; personnel of program; and drilling program. (JGB)

The objectives of this study were to determine if cadmium would induce chromosomal aberration, to determine if simultaneous aberration events occurred in somatic and germinal tissue, and to determine an estimated minimum exposure time required for significant chromosomal change. Bone marrow chromosome aberrations, specifically breaks and deletions, were found to increase after acute cadmium exposure both at MTD and normal exposure levels. Subacute exposure also resulted in increased occurrences of breaks, deletions, and despiralization. With longer in vivo exposure to cadmium, bone marrow cells continued to show increased numbers of breaks, as well as a physiological effect, despiralization, and more severe break-related aberrations; rearrangements and pulverization. In spermatocytes of the same animals, gaps, breaks, rearrangements, stickiness, and autosomal univalents were the principle aberrations. Correlation of bone marrow and spermatocyte aberrations indicated that in treated mice significant relationships existed for gaps, breaks, rearrangements, and stickiness in the tissues. An estimate of the minimum exposure time to produce chromosomal damage, based on the acute exposure experiment, would be 6 hours for bone marrow. This was confirmed by the exposure duration experiment. Spermatocytes also had chromosomal damage within 24 hours.

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The current status of digital computing technology and its applications are briefly reviewed. A surprise-free (invention-precluding) scenario for predicting the advance of this technology and its applications for the next two decades is developed, and employed to set lower bounds on the performance of digital computing systems and their potential applications. Progress-pacing features are identified, and are seen to be primarily of hardware origin in the near term, and due to software limitations in the longer term. 5 figures, 2 tables.

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Events leading up to the birth of the Health Physics Society in June, 1955, are reviewed. Membership requirements, chapters, and sections are discussed. An international organization, International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA), founded in 1963, was the outgrowth of the Health Physics Society. Other events in the history of the organization, such as the initiation of publishing of a society journal in 1957, the employment of the first Executive Secretary in 1965, and the establishment of awards, are reviewed. The two appendixes include lists of the officers of the society and award recipients. (JGB)

The City of El Centro is proposing the development of a geothermal energy utility core field experiment to demonstrate the engineering and economic feasibility of utilizing moderate temperature geothermal heat, on a pilot scale, for space cooling, space heating, and domestic hot water. The proposed facility is located on part of a 2.48 acre (1 hectare) parcel owned in fee by the City in the southeastern sector of El Centro in Imperial County, California. Geothermal fluid at an anticipated temperature of about 250/sup 0/F (121/sup 0/C) will heat a secondary fluid (water) which will be utilized directly or processed through an absorption chiller, to provide space conditioning and water heating for the El Centro Community Center, a public recreational facility located approximately one-half mile north of the proposed well site. The geothermal production well will be drilled to 8500 feet (2590m) and an injection well to 4000 feet (1220m) at the industrially designated City property. Once all relevant permits are obtained it is estimated that site preparation, facility construction, the completion and testing of both wells would be finished in approximately 26 weeks. The environmental impacts are described.

A simulated model of triangular array rods with pitch to diameter ratio of 1.10 (as a test section) and air as the fluid flow was used to study the LMFBR hydraulic parameters. The wall shear stress distribution around the rod periphery, friction factors, static pressure distributions and turbulence intensity corresponding to various Reynolds numbers ranging from 4140 to 36170 in the central subchannel were measured. Various approaches for measurement of wall shear stress were compared. The measurement was performed using the Preston tube technique with the probe outside diameter equal to 0.014 in.

A representative cross section of the literature on the disposal of geothermal brine was perused and some of the general information and concepts is summarized. The following sections are included: disposal statistics--Texas Railroad Commission; disposal statistics--Louisiana Office of Conservation; policies for administering salt water disposal operations; salt water disposal experience of Gulf Coast operators; and Federal Strategic Petroleum Reserve Program's brine disposal operations. The literature cited is listed in the appended list of references. Additional literature is listed in the bibliography. (MHR)

The lymph node clearance of /sup 239/Pu O/sub 2/ administered as insoluble particles from subcutaneous implants was studied in adult beagles to simulate accidental contamination of hand wounds. External scintillation data were collected from the popliteal lymph nodes of each dog after 9.2 to 39.4 mu Ci of plutonium oxide was subcutaneously implanted into the left or right hind paws. The left hind paw was armputated 4 weeks after implantation to prevent continued deposition of plutonium oxide particles in the left popliteal lymph node. Groups of 3 dogs were sacrificed 4, 8, 16, and 32 weeks after plutonium implantation for histopathologic, electron microscopic, and radiochemical analysis of regional lymph nodes. An additional group of dogs received treatment with the chelating agent diethyenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA). Plutonium rapidly accumulated in the popliteal lymph nodes after subcutaneous injection into the hind paw, and 1 to 10% of the implant dose was present in the popliteal lymph nodes at the time of necropsy. Histopathologic changes in the popliteal lymph nodes with plutonium particles were characterized primarily by reticular cell hyperplasia, increased numbers of macrophages, necrosis, and fibroplasia. Eventually, the plutonium particles became sequestered by scar tissue that often replaced the entire architecture of the …

Hazards and pollutional impacts from residuals generated at the Pittsburgh Energy Technology Center are explained in the context of hazardous waste regulations proposed by the federal government (RCRA). Nine hazard characteristics are defined and an overview of their significance to PETC is presented. Pollutional impacts on air, water and land are discussed in the energy research perspective. Legislative and statutory relationships between the Center and local, county, state and federal enforcement agencies are listed and analyzed. Expected liability resting on the Center in this framework is outlined. One hundred seven different chemical and indeterminate wastes were reported in an inventory conducted as an earlier task of this project. All of these are tabulated, classified in accordance with the latest proposed federal regulations, with recommended treatment and disposal methodologies included. The existing residuals management system is described to establish baseline conditions in preparing the recommended system. Management policies as they are presently practiced are included in the presentation. A recommended residuals management plan is offered for consideration. It includes the organizational arrangement of PETC personnel, a description of authority and responsibilities of the various human elements of the plan, an information network with detailed data sheets and installation of a mandatory …

Separate abstracts were prepared for 39 of the 40 papers presented. One paper was previously included in the data base. (WHK)

Papers presented at the conference dealt with regulations and standards; general and biological risks; radioluminous materials; mining, agricultural, and construction materials containing radioactivity; and various products containing radioactive sources.