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PROGRESS REPORT

BIOLOGY AND HEALTH PHYSICS DIVISION

October 1 to December 31,1975

PR-B-108

Chalk River Nuclear Laboratories

Chalk River, Ontario

A ' l O M I C r . N H K C Y O F ( A N A P A I . 1 M I 11- .1)

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PROGRESS HEPOR1

Octobe r I to Dc i cn bo r -SI, 117 S

i ' iulo^y and Health Phv = u s Division

Direc tor - A. M. Murko

Sec re t a ry - C. L Wal te r s

MachinLsts - M. L f/ibson

L. C~i. i iunt or

C O M KI\T5

1. Summary - A. M. Marko 1 - hi

2. Health P h y s i c s Branch - G. Cov.'per 11 - •>.

3. Environmental Research r ranch - L L. Op'nel . . i'< - 1 •••

4 . Population Research Branch - H. M. Ncwcombr . . 77 - ft > •

5 . B i o l o g y B r a n c h - W. F . p i a l d w i n ' " M 7 - 1 i-i

R e p l a c i n g 13. L. F Jhi 11 i p r w h o left 3 1 D e c e m b e r , 1^7S cm M a t e r n i t yL e a v e .

^ R e t i r e d Z9 D e c e m b e r , 1975.

B I O L O G Y A N D H E A L T H H H Y S l C b D i V I S J O N , S ! ' V : V A : ',

A , M . M A R K O

H e a l t h P h y s i c s

A c t i v a t i o n a n d d a m a g e I r a . : ! - 1 d e ! < - c ! o r s d<_ v<- l o p e d ' ^ r r , ! i ! : , i ! i , .

p r o t e c t i o n p u r p o s e s a r e c o n v e n i e n t l y s m a l l i n s i . ' . e a n d w o u l d b e ^ p ; ) ! . -

f o r t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f n e u t r o n d o s t ' d i s * r i L u t i o n t : i n f d s l n e u l r o r - ' i n •" ••

C a l c u l a t i o n s o f t h e r e s p o n s e o f s e v e r a l t y p e s •>! d<>.s i i I T t e r .s I m r o e e -

c a r r i e d o u t f o r a r a n g e o f d e p t h s i n w a t e r a n d a i r o s s t i n - a x i s <4 (•.!••

i n c i d e n t n e u t r o n b e a m s f r o m I D g e n e r a t o r : - a n d a t y : > u . . i l L W ^ " . r o t •••-

s o u r c e . N e p t u n i u m d a m a g e t r a c k d o s i r n c t i : r s h a v e b f i - n s h e w n t n > , a v

i d e a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s w i t h v a r i a t i o n s o f l e s s ' n a n 2"• ir, t i n . r ^ t i ' s n i r .

t o t i s s u e k c r m a . E x p e r i m e n t a l w o r k o n t h e a p p l i i a ' i o n o f h\Sr. \> r e . - '-.u •

p r o p o r t i o n a l c o u n t e r s t o t h e m e a s u r e m e n t o f n e u t r o n s i j n i r . i i s . ..• ' . : i

w i t h i h e o b j e c t i v e o f v e r i f y i n g c a l c u l a t e : 1 •• ' " • d i s i r ; ! n : t i " r ; -, i ;•,

n e u t r o n s o u r c e s i n v a r i o u s m o d e r a t o r a n d s c a t t e r i n g a r r a n g e m e n t s .

T h e a p p l i c a t i o n o f f l y i n g s p o t s c a n n i n g t e c h n i q u e s t>> u n

e v a l u a t i o n o f d a m a g e t r a c k d i s t r i b u t i o n s i s b e i n g i n v e s t i g a t e d w i t h T h e

p o s s i b l e a p p l i c a t i o n t o t r a c k d i s t r i b u t i o n s i n p l a . s t u f i l m s w h u h , i i . -

u n s u i t e d f o r a s s e s s m e n t b y t h e s p a r k c o u n t i n g t e v h n i q u e .

D e v e l o p m e n t o f t r i t i u m m o n i t o r i n g t e t h n i c u i e s c o n t i n u e s w i t h

i n v o l v e m e n t i n s e v e r a l a s p e c t s o f t h e p r o g r a m . T r i ' i u m - i r . , n v •• ••,!.

i:-;.- •: w a t e r o \ i . l i j ; i i ; «.• - i«.- v. li u i i j u c s art .- b e i n g p r o d u c e d t o r t h e B r u c e

;iciiv:i\iUnc Station ami >. lose support is being given to the manufacturer.

A transportable n-unitor using pairs of compensated ionization chambers

hvis IMHTI designed and construction o£ a prototype is underway.

A monitor for the detection of the presence of spent fuel in a

storage facility for application to nuclear safeguards has been developed.

Silicon diodes used as gamma radiation detectors are mounted in

collimators in an array corresponding to the cross-section pattern of a

U'i bundle fuel basket. Outputs are presented on digital panel meters in

a compact layout amenable to photographic recording of data.

Automatic TLD readers are being manufactured for the other

operators of personal monitoring services in Canada (Ontario Hydro,

Hydro-Quebec and Health and Welfare Canada) who have adopted the CRNL

development. The operating schedule of a standard automatic reader

has been modified to permit the use of plaque mounted TLDs for routine

environmental dose measurements.

Building construction work for the installation of the FINS

accelerator is nearly complete.

Environmental Research

Modifications in the diffuser design of the heated effluent

experimental facility of Maskinonge Lake have enabled stratified water

- 3 -

colvimns to be produced, even under winter conditions when rcsisMrw r

to mixing is lowest, P r i m a r y productivity studies with a _». T of 11. S°C:

in the top 3 m of water column and tempera tures of 3. 5 to 5°C ir< '.uifUuv.

waters gave a three-fold increase in the heated water compared with

the control column and the lake.

Labora tory studies of algal growth at high t empera tu res have

been confined. For optimum production in Ottawa River water only

phosphate additions a re needed. Most of the ten species grow bos' at

30°C, although two species may prefer 35°C. Complete intcrprctu ' ion

of the resu l t s is awaiting the analysis of samples for total carbon.

In a joint study with Biology Branch an at tempt is beint; muck-

to demonstra te low levels of specific repair enzymes in cells which show

reduced ability to repa i r y radiat ion damaged DNA, ('hick embryos •.:•!•

being used as a source of enzyme for testing methods of purification

and assay p rocedures .

Work has continued on the contract r e s e a r c h study by a group

from the Univers i te du Quebec a. Trois-Rivi&res on the effects of i h r rma l

effluents from the Gentilly Nuclear Generating Station and Lal'i-ade iU^.y

Water Plant. Their work is now being co-ordinated by an ad-hot.

committee f rom Environment Canada and AECL. In November an inh .rn>at ion

meeting on the p r o g r e s s of the. St. Lawrence River research prot-ratr, was

held at T r o i s - R i v i e r e s . Contr ibutors included sc ien t i s t s from HvHm Q.n !i-

Environment Canada, AECL and the Universite du Quebec.

- 4 -

Energy balance methods give the most reliable estimates of

lake evaporation. In our joint study with the Atmospheric Environment

Service (AES) at Perch Lake, much effort has been made to improve these

estimates. Vertical water temperature measurements are now taken

simultaneously at three points in the lake to minimize anomalies due to

horizontal advection. Net solar radiation was calculated daily from

integrated readings although the final estimate for this term will be

supplied by AES. Additional (solar) radiation equipment was installed to

measure the shortwave components of the radiation balance.

In I960 nepheline syenite glass blocks containing high level

radioactive wastes were buried below the water table in Perch Lake

swamp. Water sampling to monitor the leaching of the blocks has been

carried out at regular intervals since that time, as well as three soil

sampling surveys. Results now show that the leaching rate has been

essentially constant for the past seven years. Calculations based on

this leaching rate indicate that radioactive wastes from fuel processing

for a large nuclear complex could be safely buiied directly in the ground

without further protection.

A co-operative study by R. M. Brown of this Branch and the

Nova Scotia Department of the Environment is investigating saline

conditions in ground water near Stellarton, Nova Scotia. Tritium and

deuterium measurements have been done to learn something of the origin

of the waters involved. The isotope data indicate that the saline water is

not entrapped sea water but probably normal recharge (surface) water

leaching out deposits of marine salts. Deuterium analysis has been

facilitated by installation of a new AECL-Micro Mass D/H spectrometer

dedicated to environmental samples.

Population Research

The second phase of a three-part experiment to test for the

effects on tumor production, in the skin of rats, of radiation and toba^o

tar singly and in combination, is almost complete. The radiation dose-

effect relationships are now known, and the tobacco tar alone has

produced no significant increase in skin tumor frequency over a 16-month

period, although a few subcutaneous tumors did appear in the treated

animals remote from the tarred area. Combined treatments with the two

agents, the th/.rd phase, will be started after the present phase has run

for 18 months.

Work is continuing on the compilation of case histories of

hereditary and congenital decreases of children, from a third of a million

records of hospitalizations, registered handicaps, surveillance reports

and deaths. All of the computer linkages of the records relating to

individual children have now been carried out, and the efficiencies o£ the

linkage procedures are being tested.

- b -

The study of the effects of radiation on different organisms

has bi"ien continued during the last quarter. One new program involves

the study of damage caused by ionizing radiation to humans, and

the capacity to repair that damage. This information is obtained by

the use of human cells cultured outisde the body. Cells derived from

patients afflicted with a neurovascular genetic disorder, ataxia

telangiectasia, are defective in their capacity to repair radiation-

induced damage to their DNA. Affected individuals typically develop

malignant tumors, implicating deficiency in DNA repair as the

underlying basis of some forms of cancer.

Another new project deals with a combined genetical and

biochemical approach to the study of DNA repair in temperature-

sensitive mutants of the smut fungus Ustilago mayals blocked in DNA

synthesis. Some of these mutants are cross-sensitive to UV and

ionizing radiation, and if the thermolablle enzyme Involved can be

identified, its role in replication and repair can be examined. In this

study a DNA polymerase mutant becomes gamma-sensitive at

high temperatures, indicating a role for replication in repair of

V-damage.

- 7 -

The study of polypyrimidines in cultured mouse L-cclls have

progressed to the point where it has been shown that the polypyrimidines

are special regions distributed at regular intervals throughout the DNA.

Their frequency is consistent with the oossibility that each "gene" is

associated with a polypyrimidine. Also, it has been shown that

polypyrimidines are composed of a fairly simple arrangement of two

bases, thymine and cytosine, but the precise sequence is -lot yet known.

A gene (X) involved in the repair of radiation damage of

bacteriophage T4 has been mapped. On an early map it was shown to

be located in or between genes 42 and 43. Gene 43 codes for tho

bacteriophage T4 DNA polymerase and it has long been suspected that

the X mutation is a DNA polymerase mutation. However we have now

shown that it lies between genes 41 and 42.

In Micrococcus radiodurans, two major mechanisms contributing

to repair of both ionizing radiation-induced DNA single strand breaks

and UV-induced lesions have been characterized. One is a DNA

polymerase-dependent pathway, the activity of which is evident as a

rapid initial amelioration of damage. The second appears to be a

recombinational repair pathway, which is sensitive to the repair

inhibitors caffeine and acriflavine, requires longer times to complete

repair, and requires post-irradiation protein synthesis for activity. This

latter pathway appears to be of greater importance for repair of ion iy. ing

- 8 -

radiation- induced damage, and of lesser importance for repair of

l!V-induced damage, than the first pathway.

Investigations on the mechanism whereby oxygen protects the

cell wall of Micrococcus radiodurans from \-ray damage have shown

that the protection is not absolute. TLe damage, consisting of the release

of poiysaccharides, reaches its highest level under anoxic conditions;

huwever, the dose required is about 3 x higher than in air. The protection,

which seems to be independent of pH, probably does not involve ionic

interactions. Also, oxygen as O seems to be active in protection,

while neither O (v zone) or O" (superoxide anion) appear to be

involved in the protection.

In insects, both eye colour mutants and malformations show

significant repair from the effects of radiation and heat if the two

treatments are separated by increasing lengths of time. Our latest

experiments show that gaps of 16, 18, 21 and 24 hours all show

comparable frequencies of defects. Thus it seems that repair is

complete after the initial six hours.

A long-term study is being continued to determine whether

the risk estimates for ionizing radiation are likely to be affected by

interaction of the radiation with chemical carcinogens in our environment.

In the first phase of this study, using 3 different strains of rats, it was

concluded that the total carcinogenic stimulus of X-radiation and of one

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par t i cu la r chemical, ure thane, was not g r e a t e r than additive when th.-

two agents were adminis te red simultaneously at high dose levels. r!Lis

study is being refined to explore interact ions at lower dose levels in

one par t icu lar ly sensi t ive system, i. e. the induction of mammary

tumors in female Sprague-Dawley ra t s . No final resul ts will be

avai lable until 1976.

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1. 1 VERBAL PRESENTATIONS

1. 1. 1 Lectures or Seminars

Marko, A. M, - "Internal Dosage Calculations", Lecture topost-graduate medical students, University of Toronto,21 and 23 May, 1975.

1. 1. 2 Local Talks

Marko, A. M. - "Effects of Radiation on Man and theEnvironment", Summer Student Lecture, 6 June, 1975.

Marko, A. M. - "Metabolism of Radionuclides", 17th AnnualHealth Physics Course, 18-22 August, 1975.

- u -

HEALTH PHYSICS BRANCH

by

G. Cowper

2.1 Staff2.2 Fast Neutron Dosimetry

2.2.1 Neutron Spectra from Various SourcesTransmitted Through Pb and Cu

2.2.2 Spectra and Dosimetry of Therapeutic Beamsof Fast Neutrons in a Water Phantom

2.2.3 Additions to the 05R Monte Carlo CodePackage

2.2.4 Plotting Software for the HP9820A Calculator2.2.5 The Fourth IAEA Intercomparison cf Neutron

Accident Dosimetry Systems2.2.6 Directional Dependence of the Sensitivity of

Damage Track Neutron Dosimeters2.2.7 Range of Fission Fragments in Damage Track

Detectors2.2.8 Neutron Spectral Measurements with Proportional

Counters2.3 Reduction of Skin/Tumour Dose Ratios in Cancer Therapy

with Large Area Fields2.4 A Portable Pulse Height Analyzer2.5 Thermoluminescence Dosimetry2.6 Personnel Dosimetry2.7 Environmental Monitoring2.8 Amplifying Radiation Detectors2.9 Safeguards Instrumentation2.10 Tritium Monitoring2.11 Energy Loss in Thin Films2.12 Detection of 131I in Air2.13 Detection of 125I in Air2.14 Microscopic Flying-spot Scanner2.15 Atmospheric Diffusion Data Processing2.16 Radiation Monitoring Instruments

2.16.1 Pneumatic Messenger Monitor2.16.2 Thin Window Portable Contamination Meter2.16.3 Wide Range 3Y Survey Meter AEP-52 852.16.4 Multichannel Area Monitor AEP-5289

2.17 Routine Dose Monitoring2.17.1 Body Radiation Doses2.17.2 Hand Radiation Doses

2.18 Publications2.19 Verbal Presentations

J.I STAFF

Branch Head

Secretary

G. Cowper

3. Lucas

W.G. CrossH. IngB.J. Tymons (1)

A.R. Jones

Assistants

Assistants

P.J. BungeD.J. RobertsonB.C. Greiner

A.H. OhnoW.F. Richter

R.V. Osborne Assistants

R,M. Holford Assistant

Personnel Monitoring

Draftsmen

A.S. CoveartN.V7. Teplev

J.G. Plato

L.S. Larkin (3)R.M. Rondeau (Miss)J.M. Vincent (Mrs.)

B.A. MacDonald (2)J.H. Sneddon (2)

(1) Post-doctoral fellow

(2.) On loan from the drawing office

(3) Retired 30 December 1975

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2.2 FAST NEUTRON DOSIMETRY - W.G. Cross and H. Inq

2.2.1 Neutron Spectra From Various Sources TransmittedThrough Pb and Cu - H. Ing and W.G. Cross

In continuing the Monte Carlo calculationsof neutron spectra (PR-B-92, -96, -100 and -104) forneutron dosimetry applications, we have obtainedleakage spectra for spheres of Pb and Cu of radii2 to 50 cm containing sources of fission neutrons,H20-moderated fission neutrons, D20~moderatedfission neutrons and 14.6 MeV neutrons at thecenter of the spheres. Nuclear data for the cal-culations were taken from the recently availableENDF/B IV neutron cross-section library. Thesedata include all neutron interaction cross sectionsbelow 15 MeV, angular distribution information forelastic and inelastic neutron scattering andenergy distributions of secondary neutrons emittedby interactions leading to unresolved states in theresidual nuclei.

The calculated leakage spectra were processedby a modified version of the program REDANC (PR-B-104) to produce quantities of interest to neutrondosimetry. These include average cross sectionsfor a number of reactions used in personnel dosi-metry such as 103Rh(n,n')103mRh, n5In(n,n*)ll5mIn,32S(n,p)32P, 31P(n,p)31Si, 237Np(n,f), 23?Th(n,f)and 238U(n,f) as well as average kerma, doseequivalent, maximum particle-recoil dose and njammadose produced by a unit fluence of neutrons inci-dent on the body.

2.2.2 Spectra and Dosimetry of Therapeutic Beams of FastNeutrons in a Water Phantom - W.G. Cross and H. Ing

The small dimensions and gamma insensitivityof activation and damage track detectors makethem suitable for determining the dose variationsacross the side boundaries of neutron beams usedfor therapy. In order to calculate the change ofresponse of these detectors, relative to dose,arising from variations of spectra at differentpoints, we have used the 05R Monte Carlo code tostudy variations of spectra and fluence as thebeam penetrates into a water phantom. Calculation-al details have been given previously. ^'

(1) H. *Ing and W.G. Cross, Phys. Med. Biol . 2_0,906 (1975)

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Spectra were first obtained as a function ofradial distance from a line beam, at penetrationdepths of 5 to 20 cm. Calculations were made for14.7 MeV incident neutrons and for neutrons fromthe Hammersmith cyclotron, at present being usedfor clinical trials. These results were thenintegrated over the cross section of a broad beamto give spectra at 17 lateral positions, from 5 cminside the beam to 5 cm outside. For each spectrumwe calculated tissue kerma and mean cross sectionsfor several potentially useful dosimeters (Rh, In,S, Np, Th, U, Ni and P). The results providecorrection factors for kerma measurements madewith these dosimeters, as well as the kerma varia-tion across the side boundary of the beam.

Of the detectors tested, Np has by far thesmallest variation of response relative to tissuekerma (+ 2.5%). Among activation detectors, S hasthe best response (± 6%) for 14.7 MeV neutrons butone of the worst for Hammersmith neutrons (+ 22%).In contrast, Rh and In are good for Hammersmithneutrons (+ 3%) but very poor for 14.7 MeV neutrons(± 40%). Further work is in progress.

2.2.3 Additions to the 05R Monte Carlo Code Package -H. Ing and W.G. Cross

A subroutine DINELS was incorporated into 05Rso that non-isotropic neutron scattering to a largenumber of discrete levels can be handled moreefficiently. In the earlier 05R version, the treat-ment of anisotropic, inelastic scattering on thesame basis as elastic scattering leads to unmanag-ably large files, when the number of levels islarge (e.g., 30). Because information on inelas-tic angular distributions is relatively poor, mostof these files contain unimportant data. DINELSeliminates these files by having the angular dis-tribution information for elastic and inelasticscattering on different tapes. This separationallows inelastic scattering to be treated in amanner which is more consistent with the poor qualityof data and enables the creation of more compactfiles associated with the more restricted energyrange (relative to elastic scattering) for whichinelastic scattering can occur.

Program RESEND* was modified to run on CRNL's6600 computer. This program processes nuclear

0. Ozer,"Program RESEND" Argonne Code CenterReport BNL 17134 (1972).

- IS •

data in the ENDF/B cross section library for usfby the 05R code. In the ENDF/B file, cross sectiondata (in file 3) are often not tabulated overresolved and unresolved resonance regions and must-be computed from resonance parameters provided infile 2. RESEND computes such cross sections <i!,.lcombines them with data in file 3 to produce a newtape containing tabulated cross sections over t'.u.entire energy region.

2.2.4 Plotting Software for the HP9320A Calculator -W.G. Cross and H. Ing ~

A set of plotting programs has been writtenfor the HP982QA calculator. These plot axes andscales on log-log and semi-log graphs and data inthe form of histograms or points (with varioussymbols) including error bars. Curves are fittedto points using either Chebyshev polynomial orspline fits. Data can be read from magneticcassettes or paper tape or calculated from analy-tical expressions. These programs are used forplotting gamma-ray pulse height analyzer spectraand neutron spectra calculated by Monte Carlomethods.

2.2.5 The Fourth IAEA Intercomparison of Neutron AccidentDosimetry Systems - H. Ing and W.G. Cross

CRNL participated in the Fourth IAEA Inter-comparison of Nuclear Accident Dosimetry Systems,held at AERE, Harwell, April 7 - 1 8 , along with 10participants from 19 laboratories. Dosimetrysystems were exposed to two bursts from the Viperreactor at AWRE, Aldermaston. Most dosimeters wereread on the site in order to obtain preliminaryestimates of neutron and gamma doses. Revisedresults were presented two months later, afterparticipants had an opportunity to do further workin their respective laboratories.

CRNL fast neutron dose measurements were madewith Rh, In and S activation detectors and Np andTh damage track detectors. Thermal and resonance-neutrons were measured with Au and Cd-covered Au.Gamma doses were measured with TLD-700 dosimetersshielded by 6Li. A portable thin Nal(Tl) spectro-meter and a new, miniature multi-channel analyzer(PR-B-105) were used for counting Rh and S activi-ties while a portable etching bath and smallelectrolytic conductance cell (PR-B-104) were usedfor reading the damage track detectors.

Preliminary doses were obtained by assuminga Pb-filtered fission spectrum, as an approximationto that from the Viper reactor, to interpret thedetector readings. This approximation was known tobe poor because the reactor was shielded primarilyby Cu. Later, after calculations were performed onleakage spectra of fission neutrons through Cu,detector readings were re-interpreted using thelatter spectra. Better consistency was then obtain-ed among the neutron doses as measured by thevarious dosimeters. These values were adopted asour final results.

The table below shows our neutron kermas andqamma doses as measured on a phantom and in airalong with the average of preliminary valuesquoted by all participants.

Results for Fourth IAEA Intercomparison

Neutron Kerma (rads) Gamma Dose (rads)

;-';jrst LocationCRNL

Preliminary FinalPreliminary

AveragePreliminary

Average

InOn

InOn

AirPhantom

AirPhantom

102115

181188

127142

250256

120123

209196

4991

84150

55120

88168

2.fi Directional Dependence of the Sensitivity of DamageTrack Neutron Dosimeters - VJ.G. Cross and H. Ing

Measurements and calculations of thedependence of dosimeter sensitivity on the anglebetween the neutron direction and plane of thedetector were described in PR-B-104. Further"measurements confirm our previous result that thedirectional dependence for Np radiators is muchsmaller than that reported by Mi jnheer (D ,although our results for Th radiators are in agree-ment with his. Calculated ratios of sensitivitiesfor the beam at 0° and 90° agree with our measuredvalues, for both 14.6 and 2.8 MeV neutrons. How-ever our measured ratios of sensitivities in the

(1) B.J. Mijnheer, J. App. Rad. & Isotopes, 25,337 ( 1 9 7 4 ) —

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forward and backward directions are larger th.ir.we calculate, the difference varying from 6'». 1i r10 um thick Makrofol foils to 13* for 15 ;.m foi1

Investigation of several possible causes (lnj't •range, straggling, scattering of fragments) h,isnot accounted for this discrepancy and further wis planned.

For practical neutron dose measurements, errorsarising from angular variations of sensitivity arereduced by keeping the thicknesses of detector,radiator and backing small, by using Np rather t:i:Ji.Th and by calibrating the detector at an interim -diate angle (e.g., 45°). With these precautions,errors arc about ± 7% for 14 lleV neutrons andsmaller for lower energy neutrons - not enouqh toseriously affect, dose measurements.

2.2.7 Range of Fission Fragments in Damage Track Dotec_t_orsW.G. Cross and H. Ing

Fission fragment ranges in Makrofol detectorsare required to calculate absolute detection effi-ciencies or relative efficiencies for differentfissionable radiator materials. There are discre-pancies between previous measurements in Lexan andMakrofol and there is also an uncertainty whetherranges obtained by microscopic measurements oftracks apply to tracks detected by spark counting,since the sparking voltage may "punch through"tracks that do not quite penetrate the foil.

To measure ranges, Makrofol foils of variousthicknesses were exposed to a parallel beam ofnormally incident fragments from 252Cf and thenumber of tracks penetrating each foil was deter-mined by spark counting. In a second method, thethickness of a 10 \xm foil was varied by having ;efragments pass through it at various angles t.o thenormal. Preliminary results of the first methodgave a mean range of 19.0 ± 0.3 pm, while thesecond method gave an apparent range 5% higher.The reason for the difference is under investiga-tion.

2.2.8 Neutron Spectral Measurements with Proportiona1Counters - B.J. Tymons, H. Ing and W.G. Cross

Four proportional counters have been purchasedto enable neutron spectral measurements to be madeover the energy range 10 keV to several MeV. Thecounters are spherical and one (SP6) ha =5 a radius

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of 7.6 3 cm while the other three have a radius of2 cm (SP2). The former has a methane/argon fillingof 5 atmospheres while the latter have a 1, 4 and10 atmosphere hydrogen filling.

The purpose of these measurements is to verifysome of the spectral calculations which have beenmade over the past four years. A computer programfor unfolding the neutron spectra (Spec 4 - AWRE031/73) has been adapted to accept data from thecounters and to give the plots of the results.Work is in progress on a convenient energy calibra-tion procedure for the counters. Elements withclearly separated resonances at suitable energieswill form the basis of this calibration and oxygen,in the forr of A12O3 or dry ice (CO2) , will be usedwith a Pu-Be source moderated in a graphite stack.

2.3 REDUCTION OF SKIN/TUMOUR DOSE RATIOS IN CANCERTHERAPY WITH LARGE AREA FIELDS - W.G. Cross andH. Ing

The recent increasing use of larger fieldareas (e.g., 30 x 30 cm) in 5QCo therapy hasresulted in observed skin/tumour ratios that are2 to 3 times larger than those for small fields(about 0.3). In an attempt to improve these ratiosfor the larger fields, measurements of surface todepth dose ratios have been made using a pointsource of 6°Co at the apex of conical collimatorapertures. Doses were measured with a thin-walledextrapolation chamber with and without a plasticcover. Filters of plastic, Cu and Pb, at variousdistances from the source were used to reduce theelectron component from the source.

Using a conical collimator with a source-to-skin distance of 100 cm, the surface to depth doseratio was 0.50 for a 30-cm diameter field as com-pared to 0.30 to a 10-cm field. The addition ofan electron filter reduced this ratio to 0.43 forthe 30-cm field. There are negligible differencesamong different filter materials. These resultssuggest that better collimator design in therapymachines could significantly improve the skin/tumour ratios now found with large fields, althoughit is not known if such collimator modificationsare practicable.

- 19 -

2.4 A PORTABLE PULSE HEIGHT ANALYZER - P.J. Bunge

A portable 64 channel pulse height analyzerhas been designed and built. It permits theanalysis of spectra from various X-ray, yray andneutron detectors in any location outside thelaboratory (e.g., at dosimetry intercomparisonstudies). The analyzer (including power supply)measures 5" x 8" x 2k". Two NiCad "D" cellsprovide power for 5 to 10 hours.

A 256 x 4 bit random access memory stores upto 101* counts in each channel. The spectrum isgraphically displayed on a logarithmic verticalscale by a 32 x 16 matrix of light emitting diodes.A switch moves a flashing strobe across the display,pinpointing any channel whose channel number andcontents are then shown on separate digital dis-plays, even while accumulating data. Spectra areaccumulated for "live times" of 1, 5, 10, 30 or60 minutes. Input pulses up to 10 volts are analyzedwith an average conversion time of 40 usec.

A battery voltage monitor warns of low chargeby forcing a display shut down, except for a singleflashing decimal point. This warning allows timeto connect the battery charger before data arelost.

2.5 THERMOLUMINESCENCE DOSIMETRY - A.R. Jones

Seven Automatic TLD Readers AEP-5256A arebeing manufactured by industry for other Canadianusers. Assistance has been given to the manufac-turer in various ways including testing of partsand in component procurement. Final testing andadjustment will be carried out at CRNL. Specialfeatures required by the different users are beingprovided and will involve the addition of specialcircuit boards after completion of the basic unitby the manufacturer.

One modification (for Health & Welfare Canada)includes the addition of an alarm to indicatefailure of nitrogen flow, the facility to passplaques through the reader without heating - forthe purpose of identification only - and the capa-bility of processing plaques with two thick TLDs.Another user (Hydro Quebec) for whom arrangementsfor producing an eighth reader are now in hand will

- 10 -

be provided with an indicator of the temperature ofthe thermocouple on the cooler side of the TLD whichis used in the reader control circuits. Drawingrecords of these additional features are in prepara-tion and a manual for the AEP-5256A is beingprepared.

Measurements made on the well-knownsensitization of TLD-100 using irradiations ofabout 105 rad confirm that a fivefold increasein sensitivity is available. This is of value inlow level dosimetry in the range 1 - 100 mR (whichcovers three-month environmental and the greatmajority of two-week 'occupational' exposures)because it reduces the effect of competing signalsexternal to the dosimeter. One important effectof radiation sensitizing noted is the eliminationof low temperature peaks which renders the dosi-meter less liable to fading. Unfortunately, theresidual signal has not yet been dropped belowabout 11 mR which is worse than that obtained fromunsensitized dosimeters. A comparison was made ofplaque-mounted TLDs sealed in groups of two and ofunmounted TLDs sealed in groups of four whenexposed to about 30 mR. The standard deviation ofgroups of two plaque mounted TLDs was 1.1 mR com-pared with 0.9 mR for the unmounted TLDs in groupsof four.

An examination, involving visits to theUniversities of Wales and Wisconsin, has been madeof thermocurrent dosimetry. It was concluded thatdespite its useful properties (greater sensitivitywhen expressed as coulomb/roentgen-cm2 and theavailability in the form of thin plastic sheets)the TCD does not, at the present time, offerserious competition to TLD for practical personneland environmental dosimetry. There does not seemto be a need to enter this area of development now.

2.6 PERSONNEL DOSIMETRY - A.R. Jones

A new holder for personnel dosimeters hasbeen developed and manufactured for use by AECL,public utilities and Health & Welfare Canada. Itaccommodates the dosimeters held in the old filmbadge (i.e., TLD plaque, sulfur tablet and indiumfoil) but has been designed to protect the TLDsagainst the harmful effects of dirt and light. Inparticular, the holder is dust tight and inadver-tent opening is difficult. (A special openingtool has been designed for those who need it.)

- 21 -

The new holder, made of ABS plastic, ismechanically stronger than the old design and thewindow over the thinner dosimeter, used to estimateskin doses, is wider and thinner (7 mg/cm"'). i:<rhworker will be provided with two complete baduosto be worn in alternate monitoring periods. Inthis way the whole dosimeter will be subject toregular examination by monitoring staff whereaspreviously dosimeter plaques were exchanged by theR. & I.S. Branch outside normal working hours.

2.7 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING - A.R. Jones

Low level gamma dosimetry in the vicinity ofCRNL and AECL Commercial Products, Ottawa is carriedout with TL dosimeters. Plastic capsules contain-ing four TLD-100 chips (3.2 x 3.2 x 0.9 mm) arefurther sealed in black polyethylene to excludelight. For the purpose intended (measurement ofexposures in the 10 to 100 mR range during a threemonth period) this dosimeter assembly is adequateas attested by its performance at a recent inter-national comparison of environmental dosimetrymethods.

However, the reading process is slow, tediousand painstaking. An alternative has been tested,using plaque mounted TLDs which are read by theautomatic TLD reader AEP-5256 using a modifiedschedule. To improve precision, particularly atlow exposures, each dosimeter is identified to per-mit individual calibration and read twice to reducethe effects of the variability of the zero siunal.By using the punched tape from the reader the expo-sures can be computed using a program written fora calculator. By a slight modification the TLDholder can accommodate two plaques and it may beused out of doors without risk of contamination bydirt or moisture. Using a low temperature prc--anneal (80°C), fading is as low as with unmountedTLDs. This system will be used in 1976.

A more sensitive environmental y dosimeterusing a lithium drifted silicon detector is beingtested. It permits the computation of exposuresand provides spectral data as well so that relative-ly small increases in exposure may be measured i fthey are due to y-rays of a different energy. Togain a measure of this sensitivity, the detectoris being exposed on days when the exposure rate is

low (-• 15 , R/hour) and will then be compared withthe results obtained when it is high (> 45 uR/hour).In the first case the exposures are due to naturallyoccurring gamma emitters and fall-out. Because ofmultiple scattering the average energy is low. Whenthe exposure rate is high the increase at CRNL isdue to the presence of Argon-41 which, on average,produces a higher energy spectrum. The detectoris cooled to below 0°C by a thermoelectric coolerand has sufficient resolution to show the Cesium-137 photopeak, permitting checking and adjustmentof gain.

2.8 AMPLIFYING RADIATION DETECTORS - A.R. Jones

RCA h-s delivered a total of twenty-four,12 mm2 detectors designed for y dosimetry. Fivedetectors were cycled over the range -30 to +50°C,five were biassed at room temperature for 90 days,five were biassed at 71°C for 90 days. Measurementsof gamma sensitivity, background count rate andleakage current were made before and after subject-ing them to these procedures. Since no deteriora-tion was discerned it can be concluded that thedetectors are capable of reliable performance overa long life. Detectors having minimum (10) andmaximum (20) gains have been tested with the cir-cuits designed for use with them.

Although the detectors were developed fordosimetric purposes some of them were found to havesufficiently uniform gain that a resolution of lessthan 1 keV is observed with the 5.9-keV X-ray fromiron-55. If equipped with a thin beryllium windowsuch detectors would be useful for spectroscopy ordetection of X-rays in a background, over the energyrange 2.5 to 25 keV. To assess these possibilitiesa detector with a beryllium window is being made atRCA.

2.9 SAFEGUARDS INSTRUMENTATION - A.R. Jones

A variety of rectifiers have been tested toassess their suitability as detectors of highlevels of gamma radiation (1000 - 1,000,000 R/hour)The relevant characteristics were sensitivity andresistance to radiation damage. One type (1N2156)was found to have adequate sensitivity whichdropped by a factor of two after 2 MR exposure and

- 23 -

thereafter showed no further decrease up to thehighest exposure (16 MR). Thus, by pre-exposinqthem to 2 MR the detectors are insensitive tofurther exposures up to 14 MR at least.

The selected dosimeter has been tested withsingle uranium and lead collimators, both of whichhave adequate performance. As a result, lead waschosen as a collimator because it is cheaper.

Tests made with a single detector andcollimator on NPD fuel in the NRX rod bay indicatedthat it was possible to detect a missing bundlein a fuel storage basket and to estimate the irra-diation history of spent fuel if the decay time isknown.

A 4 x 4 array of detectors and collimatorshas been built together with the necessaryelectronics. Each detector has an amplifier anddigital panel meter and the amplifier outputs areavailable for recording. Alternatively, all 16panel meters can be photographed to produce arecord for the 16 bundles in one basket.

The array and electronics were tested in theNRX fuel bay with 16 bundles of NPD fuel held at5" spacing (the same as that in the Pickeringbasket). The test was repeated with bundles miss-ing in a corner, an edge and an interior positionof the 4 x 4 array and confirmed the results ofthe earlier tests with a single detector.

2.10 TRITIUM MONITORING - R.V. Osborne, A.S. Coveart andN.W. Tepley

Work during the year has covered all the threeaspects of our instrument program; developing newdesigns, advising manufacturers during commercialproduction of instruments to our designs and actingas consultants to users of our instruments.

For monitoring air for tritium, four designsof instruments are extant or projected. Duringthe year the design of the portable unit (AEP-5215)has been modified to produce a new unit, the AEP-5215A. Design of the fixed, remote sampling unitAEP-5275) has been completed and a prototypebuilt in the laboratory. A prototype of the trans-portable unit (AEP-5270) has been partly completed

and a glove box exhaust monitor (AEP-5293) has beencompletely designed and built. Design of thecalibrator (AEP-5284) for the tritium-in-airmonitors has been completed and prototypes havebeen built. For monitoring water for tritium, anew detector assembly has been incorporated intothe design of the water effluent monitor AEP-5252.

Commr-cial production of portable monitorAEP-5215 has continued and the first five units ofmonitor AEP-5275 and calibrator AEP-5284 have alsobeen produced. Both manufacturers have requiredtechnical advice. In cooperation with Power Projectsand Ontario Hydro a specification for a replacementfor the automatic urinalyser for tritium (AEP-5216)has been drawn up, preparatory to placing a develop-ment contract in industry. The new instrument willuse the same sample and liquid scintillator handlingsystem but will have digital control and datahandling circuits and a detector with higher sensi-tivity.

Several of the portable monitors AEP-5215,owned by the utilities, have been converted to the"A" model as have those used at CRNL. We have alsobeen actively involved in recommissioning the watereffluent monitor AEP-5252 at NPD and assisting inthe installation of the fixed air monitors AEP-5275at Bruce Generating Station "A".

Details and status of the various monitors areas follows:

AEP-5215/5215A. This monitor has twoelectrically opposed ionization chambers and anelectrometer with meter readout. One chamber,sealed inside the other, provides a back-off currentto correct for the undesired response to gammaradiation. Three main changes have been made tothe original design of the AEP-5215. The time con-stant of the most sensitive range has been shortenedby reducing the feedback resistor in the electro-meter by a factor of five, adding a voltage gain offive to maintain the same meter sensitivity. This,in conjunction with increased meter damping, reducesthe settling time following selection of the mostsensitive range to the order of a second. Provisionhas been made for the addition of a line-operatedpower supply. Finally, the aluminum electrodes ofthe ionization chambers have been nickel plated,thereby reducing the adsorption of water and enablingthe chambers to be soldered into their mounting

flanges. The latter is advantageous since we luiv<found that some epoxy-sealed units have crackedwhen thermally cycled, allowing tritium to leak intothe compensating ionization chamber.

The manual for both models has been completed.Drawings for the 'A' version have beon issued.

AEP-5275. In this monitor, the tritiatedwater vapour in air ducted from remote samplingpoints is collected in a stream of inactive waterwhich subsequently flows through a scintillationcounter. The intent of the design is to discrim-inate against other gaseous radionuclides that canaccompany the tritiated water vapour. The proto-type monitor has been rebuilt for additional test-ing in the laboratory and at one of the reactors.Engineering drawings are now being revised andcorrected, the changes being based on the manufac-turer's recommendations and on our own experiencesin the laboratory.

AEP-5270. As with AEP-5275 this monitorprovides discrimination against gaseous radio-nuclides that could accompany tritiated water vapourbut in addition it has been designed to be trans-portable around a reactor. Two pairs of ionizationchambers (from the AEP-5215) are used; one samplingthe ambient air directly, the other sampling afterthe water vapour has been removed. Because thisis a direct signal-subtraction method the sensi-tivity to interference from other gaseous radio-nuclides is higher than for the fixed monitorAEP-5275.

The design of the electrometer for thisapplication has been completed. The input stageof the electrometer is housed in a temperaturestabilised oven and is capable of measuring downto 1 fA. The dynamic range is 105 without rangechanging and both linear (to 100 V) and logarithmic(at 1 V per decade) outputs are available. A pulseoutput at 1 Hz/mV is also provided. Two rangesmay be accommodated. The digital, control andfault detection circuits have been designed andsome have been built and tested. The drying andpumping system has been rearranged so that thepressures in all ionization chambers can be closeto ambient; this is a requirement for steady,long-term cancellation of interference from bothgaseous radionuclides and gamma radiation. Thf

- 1b -

prototype is partly assembled and engineeringdrawings of some of the components have beencompleted.

AEP-5293. A small (100 cm3) ionization chamberis used in this duct or stack monitor together withthe electrometer from AEP-5270 and some of thedigital logic circuits common to both that monitorand AEP-5275. The monitor has been designed speci-fically for monitoring the air flowing to the NRXstack from a glove box containing the out-of-corecontrol system for an experimental 3He reactorloop. The monitor offers a wide dynamic range (9decades of concentration of tritium in air) and afast (1 s) response time, allowing transientreleases of tritium up to concentrations of theorder of 1 kCi/m3 to be measured. The stack inte-grated loss is indicated digitally and the rate ofloss is indicated on a recorder. An alarm with anadjustable set-point is provided on the rate-of-lossanalog output and the correct operation of thiscircuit together with analog and digital measuringcircuits can be checked by a single pushbutton testthat supplies a charge pulse to the electrometerinput.

The monitor has been assembled and is readyfor testing.

AEP-5284. The calibrator AEP-5284 has beendesigned specifically for use with the air monitorAEP-5275 but it may be used with any monitor fortritiated water vapour. A bubbler containing tri-tiated water vapour is kept at a fixed, low (10°C)temperature; the concentration of tritiated watervapour in air drawn from the bubbler is predic-table to ±1.5% for a flow from 1 to 8 litres perminute. Experience in the laboratory with the pro-totype has indicated that access to the controlcircuits should be improved; the engineering draw-ings are being modified accordingly.

2.11 ENERGY LOSS IN THIN FILMS - K. Chang, R.V. Osborne

This project continued during the summermonths.

The technique of preparing thin Formvar filmswas developed and the performance of the analyzingequipment stabilized. Films down to 180 A thicknesshave been reproducibly produced but thinner films,

50 to 100 A, which are required for the analysishave not been sufficiently robust to survivetransfer to the 600 urn diameter specimen aperturesused.

Reproducible analysis of non-attenuated beamshas been attained by increasing the diameters ofthe energy filter lens and Faraday cup entrance.These changes have resulted in only a marginal lossin energy resolution - the full width at halfmaximum is still less than 1 V- but have decre.ise^the susceptibility of the analyser to variationsin beam trajectory and magnetic fields. Furtherreduction (by screening) in the capacitance beuwee-the analyzing lens and the Faraday cup leadstogether with adjustment of the relative phasingof the reference and detected signal in the phasesensitive analyser has allowed the capacitivelvcoupled signal from the analyser to be nulled eatcompletely. Peaks in the differential energy lossspectrum with intensities down to 0.02% of the mainincident beam are detectable above the backgroundfrom the unscattered beam.

2.12 DETECTION OF 131I IN AIR - R.M. Holford

During the year, revision of the engineeringdrawings for the Iodine-in-air monitor, AEP-5217,was completed, and revised printed circuit boardswere constructed and tested. In the course oftesting, the high-voltage power supply was foundto be unsatisfactory and an improved method ofregulating its output voltage was devised. Minorchanges were also made in the preamplifier to moreaccurately compensate for the fall time of thelight output pulse from the scintillator [CsI(Na)].

The instrument has now been transported to theNRX reactor building for further operational tests.It is currently being operated as a monitor on131I in the main air exhaust duct as it leaves thebuilding. One release of fission products hasalready been observed. The response of the instru-ment was qualitatively as expected - a continuousrise in count rate being observed. The portionsof the filter material (ACG/B paper in roll form)associated with this incident have been recoveredand will be subject to more detailed analysis,using a GeLi detector and a multichannel analyser,to try to reach a quantitative assessment of the

- 28 -

iodine-in-air monitor's response to both 131I andalso the shorter-lived isotopes, such as ' 3 3I and

2.13 DETECTION OF !'"'51 IN AIR - R.M. Holford

Drafting work on AEP-5205, the monitordesiqned specifically for 1 2 5 I , is in progress

2.14 MICROSCOPIC FLYING-SPOT SCANNER - R.M. Holford

Kodak LR115 cellulose nitrate foil is used insome nuclear installations as a personnel neutrondosimeter. It can be used on its own as a detectorof fast neutrons or in conjunction with 6LiF as adetector of slow neutrons using the (n,a) reaction.After exposure the film is etched to enlarge damagetracks until they appear as holes and the numberof holes per unit area is then counted. Countingis facilitated by the fact that the undamaged filmcontains an intense red dye and is therefore almostopaque to light with a wavelength around 500 nm.Automation of counting using the spark-countertechnique developed by Cross and Tommasino isimpracticable since the foil, being only 10 urnthick, is r.ounted on a thicker polycarbonate foilfor support. An alternative method of automationis to use an optical scanner and therefore theflying-spot scanner system originally developed forcytophotometry will be modified for this purpose.The signal to noise ratio can easily be made verylarge, because of the intensity of the dye in theLR115, and this should overcome the major problemfound with this scanner in the past. To furtherimprove the signal-to-noise ratio and also tosimplify the design of the electronic circuits theinstrument will be run in a slow-scan mode. Randomaccess memories will be used to "remember" thecontents of previous lines of the scan, thus enabl-ing the instrument to avoid counting the same holetwice.

2.15 ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSION DATA PROCESSING - R.M. Holford

Environmental Research Branch has accumulatedmuch data on the dispersal of the "* !Ar which isproduced within the reactors at Chalk River byactivation of atmospheric argon and is exhausted tothe environment via the main stack on a hill above

the plant. Continuous samples of the air are L:f;u,at several points, a mile and more from the stuck,with a view to learning more about the disporsi onof the argon. From this it may be possible toestimate more closely the hazard associated withreleases of more dangerous isotopes from nuclearpower stations in populated areas.

The probability distribution of the observeddilution factors was found to be an exponentialdistribution with an excess of zero values. Thezero values obviously correspond to times when thewind was in the wrong direction, but the exponen-tial distribution for the non-zero values wasunexpected and requires an explanation. Two possi-ble explanations can be given, one that the size ofturbulent eddies in the atmosphere is itself expon-entially distributed and therefore leads to theobserved distribution, the other is that theobserved distribution is the result of a Gaussianplume model in which the direction and width oithe plums vary randomly. Both these explanationsare plausible in that they predict the observedbehaviour in a qualitative fashion, but there areapparently insufficient data available to quantifythem. One possible way of obtaining additionalinformation would be to set a number of detectorson an arc of a circle. This would allow for anestimate of the width and direction of the plume atany given time, and hence the parameter for theGaussian model could be estimated and its validityexamined.

If an extension of the experiment is undertakensome other details also require attention. Thedetectors used at present show a relatively highbackground count-rate and their long-term stabilityis poor, so that although their efficiency cannotbe significantly improved on it may be worthwhileto consider changes in the design to improve relia-bility. Another area for possible improvement isin the transmission of the data to the central site.This is presently done by converting the count-rateto a D.C. voltage at the sampling site, transmi11LrI• Tthis down a telephone line to the central site, andthen using a multiplexed analog-to-digital converterto produce a number which is punched onto paper t.ipcAn all-digital system should be more reliable.

Improvements are also possible in the handim}of the data. The paper tapes contain much refund,n. tinformation which is useful as a che<:k on the

- SO -

functioning of the system but need not be recordedpermanently. Maximum use of these checks shouldtherefore bo made at the time the paper tape isread by the computer and the essential informationshould then be compressed into as compact a formas possible for long-term storage on magnetic tape.All new data is currently being processed alongthese lines as well as in the traditional manner;additionally all the data from 1970 on (the timewhen magnetic tape storage was instituted) havebeen translated into the new format. This systemreduces the amount of magnetic tape required by afactor of about 20, so that for instance, all thedata acquired since 1970 can so far be accommodatedon a single 2400 ft magnetic tape.

As a check on the compact storage method atrial program for further processing of the datahas been developed. In this care has been takento exclude data taken when the reactors were shutdown or when their output was varying, and also todetect obvious instrument malfunctions. Firstresults show the same exponential distribution asreported for the earlier (pre-1970) data, but thereis some indication of an excess of small but non-zero values. This work is being continued.

The important values for testing of theprobability distribution are the very low and veryhigh ones. The low values occur frequently butrecognition of them requires that the backgroundcountrate be stable and that the sensitivity of thedetection system be high. There is no problem indetecting the occasional very high values; thedifficulty is rather that of distinguishing themfrom Instrument malfunctions, noise induced bylightning and other errors, and this requires thatthe instrumentation be reliable.

2.16 RADIATION MONITORING INSTRUMENTS - A.R. Jones

2.16.1 Pneumatic Messenger Monitor

Pneumatic messenger systems cross interzonalboundaries in a nuclear power station. A monitoris necessary to detect the presence of activitywhich might be carried from one zone to anotherwithin or on the messenger capsule.

A monitor is being developed to detect activityemitting y~rays (the lucite wall of the capsule

would stop 3 particles, contained within thecapsule.

The detector is a cylindrical array of 300 mmside wall Geiger counters around the capsule. itssensitivity to sources of 60Co, 137Co and ?1<1Amlocated at different positions in the capsule wasmeasured and also the background when shieldedwith 50 mm of lead. The detection electronics issimilar to that used in the Personal ContaminationMonitor AEP-5276 but the maximum decision time isincreased from 4 to 10 seconds. With the measuredefficiencies and background rate the minimumdetectable activities for 60Co, 137Cs and 2'*1Am are12, 60 and 260 nCi respectively. The monitorwhich is being built employs some of the printedcircuit boards of the Personal Contamination Monitor.

2.16.2 Thin Window Portable Contamination Meter

A laboratory prototype has been designed,built and tested. It employs a digital panel meterwith a scale 0 - 999 counts/second. The analogcount rate circuit which provides an output voltageproportional to count rate has a response timeinversely proportional to the count rate givingconstant statistical precision over the scale. Toaid in searching for activity a sound and lightpulse is emitted every tenth pulse detected by thethree pancake counters.

2.16.3 Wide Range 3y Survey Meter AEP-52 8 5

Following field tests at CRNL and by OntarioHydro of the laboratory prototype, preliminarymechanical design was completed and an engineeringprototype built. It is being tested in the labora-tory.

2.16.4 Multichannel Area Monitor AEP-5289

The five channel area monitor spans 4 decadeslogarithmically (1 mrad/h to 10 rad/h or 10 mrad/hto 100 rad/h according to the detector used). Afive channel monitor can contain channels of eitherkind or a mixture of both. The detectors can bechecked remotely.

2.17 ROUTINE DOSE MONITORING - L.S. Larkin andR.M. Rondeau

2.17.1 Body Radiation Doses

In the fourteen week period ending November21 and in the calendar year to this date there werethe following distributions of radiation exposure.

Penetrating Radiation Doses - CRNL

Dose Rangerems

No radiation;less than 0.490..S0 - 0.991.00 - 1.491.50 - 1.992.00 - 2.492.50 - 2.993.00 - 3.493.50 - 3.99

Average doseper monitoredperson

Average doseper exposedperson

Fourteen Weeks

No. ofmonitoredpersons

6423916582

TotalDose

Man-rem

0152.3344.889.453.40

83 mrem

85 mrem

Calendar Year


47207617211655371395

307

313

TotalDose

Man-rem

0251.38121.17142.0097.5183.8135.9228.7519.63

mrem

mrem

- 33 -

Penetrating Radiation Doses - CP

Dose Rangerems

No radiationless than 0.490.50 - 0.991.00 - 1.491.50 - 1.992.00 - 2.49



Fourteen Weeks


22200

5

TotalDose

Man-rem

017.823.08

92 mrem

102 mrem

Calendar Year


12185171021

251

265

TotalDose

Man-rem

026.6512.7511.943.202.47

mrem

mrem

Penetrating Radiation Doses - PP

Dose Rangereins

No radiationless than 0.490.50 - 0.991.00 - 1.491.50 - 1.992.00 - 2.492.50 - 2.993.00 - 3.49



Fourteen Weeks


133164431

TotalDose

Man-rem

01.592.814.825.052.00

101 mrem

5 81 mrem

Calendar Year


98371355111

TotalDose

Man-rem

0 ••

2.648.806.438.742.002.943. 3rj

216 mrem

5 54 mrem

Surface Radiation Doses - CRNL

L_* v..' fcj \—- I \ i I 1 l ^ J v.-

rcms

No radiationloss than 0.490.50 - 0.991.00 - 1.491.50 - 1.992.00 - 2.492.50 - 2.993.00 - 3.493.50 - 3.994.00 - 4.494.50 - 4.995.00 - 5.495.50 - 4.996.00 - 6.496.50 - 6.99



Fourteen


6622601275418421

Weeks

TotalDose

Man-rem

0143.1689.0963.7830.798.625.293.03

135 mrem

139 mrem

Calendar Year


472006153887360362022864222

433

441

TotalDose

Man-rem

0242.53109.22107.48124.27134.6899.0964.4782.2033.8328.2221.0611.8712.8813.83

mrem

mrem

Surface Radiation Doses - CP

Dose Rangerems




Fourteen Weeks


22181195

TotalDose

Man-rem

019.0813.126.17

169 mrem

187 mrem

Calendar Ye'ir


1215335118323

TotalDo so

Man-rem

021.7723.6213.4314.676. 375.6 99.60

43 9 mrem1i

442 mrem

Surface Radiation Doses - PP

Dose Rangerems




Fourteen Weeks


133155431

TotalDose

Man-rem

01.743.564.825.052.00

106 mrem

613 mrem

Calendar Year


98361455111

TotalDose

Man-renn |I

02.5G9.696.618.742.002.943.35

22 3 mrem

570 mrum

- 36 -

The 600 mrem in two weeks administrativecontrol limit for whole body radiation doses wasexceeded on ten occasions by workers at PowerProjects and on one occasion at CRNL and the 1600mrem limit on skin radiation was exceeded on fouroccasions by workers at Power Projects

2.17.2 Hand Radiation Doses

In the calendar year and the 14 week periodending December 5, 1975 there were the followingdistributions of extremity doses as measured byfinger tip TLD's.

Di

less

1. 00

2.00

4.99

6.99

8.00

10.00

15.00

3sr Range

than 9.99

- 1 .99

- 1.99

- T.99

- 7.99-9.99- 14.99- 19.99

; Calendar1 Year

rems 1651218511

[ 11

CRNLFourteenWeeks

6348-----

CPCalendar

Year

23104421

|1

FourteenWeeks

8113---_

PP,Calendar

Year

192--

-i

-

FourteenWeeks

9-------

2.18 PUBLICATIONS

A.R. Jones and W.F. Richter. A Manual for the Useand Maintenance of the Thermoluminescent Dosimeter(TLD) Plaque, AEP-5272 and the Automatic TLDReader, AEP-5256. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited,Unpublished Internal Report, CRNL-1219.

A.R. Jones. The Application of Large Area OrganicQuenched Counters to Radiation Monitoring. IEEETransactions on Nuclear Science NS22 p. 272.February 1975.

A.R. Jones. A Linear Counting Rate Circuit withConstant Statistical Precision. Nuclear Instrumentsand Methods 126 p. 313. March 1975. Atomic Energyof Canada Limited, Report AECL-5094.

A.R. Jones. A Personal Contamination Monitor UsingLarge Area Geiger Counters. Health Physics 2j[p. 521. May 1975. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited,Report AECL-4992.

- 37 -

A.R. Jones. A Warning Dosimeter with a DigitalMemory. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, ReportAECL-5040.

W.G. Cross and H. Ing. The Use of 237Np in PersonalDosimeters for Fast Neutrons, Health Physics 2_8,p. 511. (1975) Atomic Energy of Canada Limited,Report AECL-4898.

W.G. Cross. Canadian Progress Report to the INDC.INDC(Can)-15/G, Oct. 1975.

W.G. Cross. Canadian Progress Report to the NEA/*'DC.NEANDC(Can)-48L, March 1975.

W.G. Cross and H. Ing. Analytical Representationof Some Fast-Neutron Cross Sections Useful inDosimetry. Nuclear Science and Engineering 5 8_, p.377. December 1975. Atomic Energy of CanadaLimited, AECL-5171.

H. Ing and W.G. Cross. Spectra and Dosimetry ofNeutrons and Various Sources Shielded by Iron.Nuclear Science and Engineering 5_8 420. December1975. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Report AECL-5169.

H.W. Taylor*, R.L. Schultz*, 2.J. Tivin* and H. qThe Decay of 8.0 min 71tGa. Can. J. Phys. 5_3, p. 107.(1975).

H. Ing and W.G. Cross. Spectra and Dosimetry Relatedto Neutron Irradiations of the Human Body. Phys.Med. Biol. 20_, p. 906. (1975). Atomic Energy ofCanada Limited, Report AECL-5205.

H. Ing and W.G. Cross. Spectra and Dosimetry ofNeutrons from Moderation cf 235U and 25zCf FissionSources in H2O. Health Physics 29 , p. 839. (1975).Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Report AECL-5172.

R.V. Osborne. Central Tritium Monitor for CANDUNuclear Power Stations. IEEE Nuclear Science Sympo-sium and 14th Scintillation and Semiconductor CounterSymposium, Washington, D.C., December 1974, IEKK Transactions on Nuclear Science Vol. NS22, No. 1, p. 670-68February 1975.

•Physics Dept., University of Toronto, Toronto,Ontario.

R.V. Osborne. Design of a Digital LogarithmicRatemeter Circuit. IEEE Transactions on NuclearScience, NS22, p. 1952-1957. June 1975. AtomicEnergy of Canada Limited, Report AECL-5184.

R.M. Holford. Calculation of SedimentationCo-efficients in Linear Sucrose Gradients. July1975. Atomic Energy of Canada Limted, ReportAECL-5022.

2.19 VERBAL PRESENTATIONS

A.R. Jones. The Application of an automatedThermoluminescent Dosimeter System to RadiationDosimetry at Chalk River. CAP Congress, YorkUniversity, June 1975.

'A.R. Jones. A Warning Dosimeter with A DigitalMemory. Annual Health Physics Society Meeting.Buffalo, New York, July 1975.

W.G. Cross and H. Ing. Directional Dependence ofFast Neutron Fission Track Dosimeters. AnnualHealth Physics Society Meeting, Buffalo, NewYork. July 1975.

H. Ing and W.G. Cross. Spectra and Dosimetry ofNeutrons Moderated by D20. Annual Health PhysicsSociety Meeting. Buffalo, New York. July 1975.

R.V. Osborne. Radioactivity, Radiation Physicsand Units. CRNL Health Physics Conference, August1975.

G. Cowper. Physics and Radiation Protection.CAP Congress, York University, June 1975.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH BRANCH

by

I.L. Ophel

3.1 Staff3.2 Studies on Effects of Heated Water on Aquatic3.3 Beneficial Uses of Waste Heat3.4 CRNL Herbarium3.5 Biochemistry and Microbial Ecology

3.5.1 Enzy-mological Assessment of DNA Repair - DeficientHuman Tissue Culture Cells

3.5.2 Microbial Ecology3.6 Aquatic Radioecology and Freshwater Biology

3.6.1 Strontium and calcium Metabolism in Fish3.6.2 Biological Half-Life of 60Co in Native Fish3.6.3 Effects of Internally Deposited Radionuclides in

Fish on the Incipient Lethal Level of DissolvedOxygen

3.6.4 Culture of Experimental Fish3.7 St. Lawrence River Studies3.8 Perch Lake Project

3.8.1 Evapor at ion3.8.2 Chemistry

3.9 Atmospheric Diffusion Studies3.10 waste Management3.11 Glass Block High Level Waste Test Disposal3.12 Neutron Activation Analysis3.13 Co-Operation with Outside Organizations3.14 contaminant Hydrogeochemistry3.15 Natural Deuterium Concentrations in the Vicinity of the

LaPrade Heavy Water Plant

- 40 -

3.1("i Environmental Isotope Hydrology3.16.1 Mixing of waters in the St. Lawrence Estuary

(with University du Quebec h Rimouski)3.16.2 Sanitary Landfill site Studies (with University

of Waterloo)3.16.3 Water Supply Studies (with University of

Waterloo)3.16.4 infiltration Studies on East side of Perch Lake

Basin, CRNL3.17 Deuterium and Tritium Analysis3.18 Gamma Dose Rates at the CRNL Boundary3.19 Gamma Dose Rates in the Exclusion Area3.20 off-Site Monitoring3.21 Liquid Effluent Monitoring3.22 Liquid Disposal Area3.2 3 Tritium Survey3.24 Land Gamma Survey3.2 5 Survey Summary3.2 6 Publications3.27 Verbal Presentations

3.27.1 Presented Papers3.2 7.2 Lectures or Seminars3.27.3 Local Talks

3.28 invited Speakers

For Figures 1, 2 and 3 see end of section.

- 41 -

3.1 STAFF

Branch Head - I.L. Ophel

Environmental Chemistry and Meteorology

P.J. Barry1 Assistants: P.C. jayR.E. LegereE. RobertsonD.P. Wildsmith

Natural Isotope Studies

R.M. Brown Assistant: C D . Fraser

Biochemistry and Microbial Radioecology

D.R. Champ Assistant: J.L. Young

Radiocheitiistry and Terrestrial Radioecology

W.E. Grummitt Assistants: G. LahaieL.A. MaskH.M. McLaughlinW.J. Pierson

Contaminant Hydrogeochemistry

R.E. Jackson2 Assistant:

Biology and Aquatic Radioecology

J.W. McNiahon

K.J. Inch3

I.L. Ophel

Assistants: A.E. DochertyS-R. Gentner

Assistant: J.M. Judd

1 Left 17 July, 1975 for approximately 4 months to workas a member of the SCOPE Project Working Group at theMonitoring and Assessment Research Centre, ChelseaCollege, University of London, London, England.

2With Hydrology Research Division, Environment Canada,Ottawa, Ontario. Working intermittently at CRNL onhydrogeochemistry of Perch Lake basin with W.F. Merrift

3Working at CRNL as Research As- istant to R.E. Jackson.Arrived 2 July, 1975 until 30 October, 1976.

•J.I STAFF (cont'd)

Hydrology and Trace Element Analysis

W.F. Merritt Assistant: B.A. Risto

Secretarial

D.J. TerMarsch

3.2 STUDIES ON EFFECTS OF HEATED WATER ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS -J.W. McMahon and A.E. Docherty

Following autumnal turnover in Maskinonge Lake newpolyethylene columns were suspended in the lake and theheat enrichment system put into operation using the hori-zontal fan-shaped diffuser. A AT of 10.25°C was obtainedthroughout the entire water column. It was decided thata combination of turbulence and diffuser shape would notpermit the development of a desired thermal stratifica-tion of the water mass. To reduce turbulence a thirdtype of diffuser was installed. This "lateral diffuser"consists of 1.5 m polyethylene pipe (7.5 cm dia.) with3.2 cm dia. holes on the dorsal surface. In conjunctionwith this new diffuser the flow rate through the heatexchanger was reduced by approximately 75%.

Within 24 hours an artificial thermocline was estab-lished at 3 m depth in the column. The AT of the heatedsurface water was 16°C above that in the lake.

Further manipulation of the flow rate on the boilerside of the system reduced heat input to give a 10 to11.5°c AT in the first 3 m of the column. Below the ther-mocline, temperatures range from 3.5 to 5°C and are simi-lar to the open lake water.

Primary productivity studies carried on during thisexperiment indicate a three-fold increase in the heatedwater compared with the control column and the lake.

3.2 STUDIES ON EFFECTS OF HEATED WATER ON AQUATIC ORGANISMS(cont'd)

One problem encountered during summer studies wasthe scouring by turbulence of attached algae from thewalls of the heated polyethylene column. This resultedin high C primary productivity values not duplicatedin the undisturbed control column.

A small submersible pump placed ir. the controlcolumn now gives a flow pattern similar to the heatedcolumn and is also sufficient to maintain ice-free condi-tions in the non-heated control columns under winterconditions.

Techniques have been devised for changing the plas-tic enclosures during the winter months. A fibreglassswimming pool in a polyethylene enclosure has been in-stalled near the laboratory. This will enable temperature-controlled laboratory experiments to be carried en tocomplement field experiments in the lake. These studieswill be continued throughout the winter.

3.3 BENEFICIAL USES OF WASTE HEAT - J.W. McMahon and S-R.Gentner

14Productivity studies using C as tracer were carried

out on Chlorella vulgaris and nine other species of uni-cellular algae to fir^ an easily cultivated, highly pro-ductive alga which can grow at elevated temperatures inminimal media (i.e. river water with few, or no, addi-tional nutrients). The effects on productivity of vari-ous nut.ient additions to river water were compared to themaximal productivity of Krause's medium; these experi-ments were run at several temperatures. Since phosphatewas found to be the only nutrient addition to river waterneeded for maximal productivity, further experiments (at20°C) compared the effects on productivity of various con-centrations of phosphate added. These experiments werethen expanded to check the productivity with differentphosphate concentrations at temperatures from 10 to 3V '"..

- 44 -

3. i BENEFICIAL USES OF WASTE HEAT (cont'd)

Most recently, similar productivity experiments havebeen ran, except that phosphate additions range from 0 to50% of the concentration in Krause's medium and the algaeare equilibrated for 24 hours ahead of the experiment atthe experimental temperature. Algae are also being grownin media of 50% river water and 50% Krause's media priorto the experiments. Although differences in productivitydue to various concentrations of phosphate are less markedat higher temperatures, all these experiments indicatethat 25% of Krause's phosphate concentration (43.6 ppm)is all that must be added to river water for maximal pro-ductivity. Most of the algae seem to grow best at 30°c,although two species may prefer 35°C. Complete interpre-tation of the results is awaiting the analysis of totalcarbon samples.

Growth curves have been determined for all algae inboth complete Krause's medium and 50% river water - 50%Krause's medium mixture. Currently, various combinationsof two algae are being grown together and growth curvesplotted to see if any synergistic or toxic effects exist.

3.4 GRNL HERBARIUM - S-R. Gentner

The collection has been enlarged from 1120 to 1172specimens, 13 of which are new to the collection.

3.5 BIOCHEMISTRY AND MICROBIAL ECOLOGY - D.R. Champ and J.L.Young

Our efforts to date have been concentrated upon in-situting a program to examine the enzymological defectsin certain DNA repair - deficient human tissue culturecells. The laboratory component of the microbial ecologystudies has not yet begun. As this program will entaila considerable amount of field sampling it is unlikely toget well under way before spring. We are currentlygathering relevant technical information and awaiting thearrival of several essential items of equipment.

- 45 -

3.5.1 Enzymological Assessment of DNA Repair - Deficient HumanTissue Culture Cells

This joint program with M.C. Paterson (BiologyBranch) has evolved from his studies which have indi-cated that patients suffering from Ataxia Telangiectasia(AT) are most probably deficient in an endonuclease ac-tivity required in the excision repair process on gammaradiation damaged DNA. We are attempting to isolate andpurify the enzyme and thereby demonstrate reduced levelsin cells cultured from AT patients relative to cells cul-tured from control patients.

The relatively large expenditures of time and ef-fort necessary to culture the quantities of mammaliancells required for examination by standard biochemicalprocedures has precluded that the initial assay andpurification of the enzyme be conducted on more readilyavailable material. Rather than resort to prokaryoticorganisms it was felt prudent to work with a more closelyrelated higher organism. Chick embryos have been chosenas our model system; they are readily available and canbe processed in reasonably large quantities.

Using chick embryos we have be .n able to apply twoassay systems to the problem. The first assay is basedupon the assumption that the putative enzyme would notonly cleave the DNA but would also bind to the DNA, con-sequently a binding assay has been developed which pro-vides us with a relatively rapid method for examiningvarious fractions in our purification procedure. Thesecond assay serves to confirm the correlation betweenbinding activity and cleavage activity. This assay mea-sures the capability of our fractions to cleave the ir-radiated DNA. Both assay systems incorporate irradiatedand unirradiated DNA to account for nonspecific bindingand cleavage of the DNA at sites other than those due togamma irradiation. Using these assays we have begun apurification procedure for the isolation of an endonu-clease activity from chick embryos which is specific forgamma radiation damage in DNA.

- 46 -

3.2 Microbial Ecology

Any examination of microbial populations necessi-tates the application of techniques by which one can ob-tain samples free from external biological contamination.This becomes particularly difficult in environmentalstudies where the sampling is done in the field ratherthan under controlled laboratory conditions.

We have had made a device for taking 50 m-f, samplesof uncontaminated water and are currently consideringdevices for sampling bottom sediments. Recent discus-sions with Dr. R. Paterson, Dept. of Geology, Queen'sUniversity have suggested that the sampling technique;hey expect to employ in hydrogeological studies at CRNLthis coming summer may also be adapted to yield uncon-taminated samples of ground water. Discussions concern-ing the use of this equipment will be continuing in thefuture.

3.6 AQUATIC RADIOECOLOGY AND FRESHWATER BIOLOGY

3.6.1 strontium and Calcium Metabolism in Fish - I.L. Ophel andJ.M. Judd

Several experiments dealing with strontium and cal-cium relationship in fish were concluded. Recent experi-ments dealt with the excretion (biological half-life) ofradioactive strontium and calcium by fish kept in watercontaining different Sr/Ca ratios.

Analysis of data from earlier 8 5 S r an<3 4 7ca meta-

bolic studies show that the Observed Ratio obtained fromdirect uptake of these elements from water (0R w a t e r =Sr:Ca ratio fish/sr:Ca ratio water) is decreased by anincrease in water temperature and also by an increase insize (body weight) of fish. The Observed Ratio obtainedfrom food uptake (ORfoocj = Sr:Ca ratio fish/sr:Ca ratiofood) is unchanged by these two factors.

- 47 -

3.6.2 Biological Half-Life of 60Co in Native Fish - I.L.. Ophel,J.M. Judd and J.C. Sharp

Several species of native fish (perch, bullhead,sunfish, dace) have been used in a study of the biolo-gical half-life of & cCo. Fish which had accumulated6°Co from water are kept in a free-flowing system andthe elimination of the radioisotope is fjllowed by peri-odic whole-body gamma counting. F-jyeated handling ofthe fish, brought about by the necessity of confini.iv)them in plastic envelopes during whole-body counting,resulted in some deaths. However, sufficient data hasbeen obtained to construct short-term (approximatelyone month) biological half-lives for perch and bullhorn!,and longer-term (approximately three months) for sunfishand dace.

3.6.3 Effects of Internally Deposited Radionuclides in Fish o_nthe Incipient Lethal Level of Dissolved Oxygen - J.Suyama, I.L. Ophel and J.M. Judd

Measurements of time to death (resistance time) inboth radioactive and non-radioactive fish kept in watercontaining different levels of dissolved o 2 were made.This work resulted from our previous finding that fishcarrying heavy body burdens of radionuclides had longermean survival times than unexposed fish (controls) whenchallenged at lethal temperatures. This previous resultwas possibly due to radiation damage of gills and hencea reduced efficiency of heat transfer in radioactivefish. If this were so then low oxygen stress shouldcause a decreased resistance time in radioactive fish.In fact, in the present series of experiments, no signi-ficant differences in survival times were found betweencontrols and radioactive fish when they were subjects -Ito the acute stress of low dissolved oxygen levels.

- 4S

'- • "• •' Culture of experimental Fish - I. L. Ophe 1 and j.C. Sharp

All attempts to develop a culture of zebra fish(Brachydanio rerio) in the laboratory were unsuccessful.Tank design was altered, photoperiod and feeding scheduleswere varied but the fish failed to produce eggs. It wasnot possible to ensure a regular supply of live food,such as Daphnia, for the fish and we relied on freshliver as a substitute. Live food is possibly an essen-tial factor in the successful maintenance of a cultureof zebra fish.

Various treatment procedures were used in attemptsto keep native fish healthy under laboratory conditions.Native fish readily succumb to a variety of diseases whenthey are taken from their natural environment and con-fined in the laboratory. Most of the lethal diseasesare bacterial in origin. Treatment procedures consistedof CuS04 and acetic acid dips and dosage (both internallyand topically) with antibiotics such as tetracycline,penicillin and streptomycin. Dips reduced the number ofecto-parasites on the fish but had no effect on bacterialinfections, particularly columnaris disease which is themost frequently encountered disease in native fish. Anti-biotics were successful in curing individual fish oncethey had contracted the disease but most antibiotics aretoo costly to use on a prophylactic basis. Keepingnative fish in flowing well-water containing ~ 10 ppbchlorine had a marked effect in reducing death-rates.This appears to be the best method for controlling bac-terial diseases, particularly columnaris, in native fishkept in laboratory confinement.

3.7 ST. LAWRENCE RIVER STUDIES - I.L. Ophel

The group from the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres has continued their study of the effects ofthermal effluents from the Gentilly Nuclear GeneratingStation and the Laprade Heavy water Plant on the biotaof the St. Lawrence River. Their contract research onthese aspects and on other problems (water chemistry.

- 49 -

3.7 ST. LAWRENCE RIVER STUDIES (cont'd)

duck breeding) is now being co-ordinated by an ad-hoccommittee of personnel from Environment Canada and AKCL.

In November, an information meeting on the progressof the St. Lawrence River research program was held atthe University du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres. contributorsincluded scientists from Hydro-Quebec, Environment Can-ada, AECL and the University.

3.8 PERCH LAKE PROJECT - P.J. Barry, P.C. Jay, R.E. Legere,E. Robertson and D.P. Wildsmith

3.8.1 Evaporation

The first half of 1975 was spent primarily on thecompletion of papers for the final summary report ofthe Perch Lake evaporation study which was part of theCanadian IHD program. This report is now published intwo volumes (AECL-5041, Pts. I and II).

A new study was then begun at Perch Lake in co-operation with the Hydrometeorology Research Section ofthe Atmospheric Environment Service (AES). The aim ofthis study is to improve the usefulness of evaporationestimation methods and to gain a better understandingof the processes involved.

Since evaporation pans are most generally used toestimate lake evaporation, an experiment was undertakento determine heat transfer through the pan walls. Threepairs of pans were installed (with one pan immersed inthe lake and the other raised above the water surface)on platforms at three points on the lake. The anemo-meters associated with these pans also yielded data onthe variability of the wind speed over the lake. Read-ings were taken from these pans as well as the ones ateach shore station every day until 31 October. The datahave been sent to AES for analysis.

3.B.I Evaporation (cont'd)

Energy balance methods give the most reliable esti-mates of lake evaporation. Much effort has been made toimprove these estimates at Perch Lake. Vertical watertemperature measurements are now taken simultaneously atthree points in the lake to minimize anomalies due tohorizontal advection. The temperatures are recorded onpaper tape which is processed daily for lake energy com-putation, in this way any equipment failures are foundpromptly. Thus the energy record of Perch Lake is almostcontinuous from 1 May to 2 3 November when the lake froze.Breakdown and damage of electronic equipment was greatlyreduced by disconnecting it when thunderstorms seemedlikely.

Net solar radiation was calculated daily from inte-grated readings although the final estimate for thisterm will be supplied by AES. Additional radiation equip-ment was installed to measure the shortwave componentsof the radiation balance.

Daily evaporation rates for Perch Lake were calcu-lated from energy change, net radiation and Bowen ratiofigures. Preliminary estimates of monthly evaporationrates are listed in the table below, along with meanvalues for the previous five years.

A portable, manually operated probe with ninethermistors was used to measure temperatures to a depthof 2.5 m in Upper Bass, Maskinonge and Perch Lakes aboutonce a week from 8 September to 18 November. These re-sults demonstrate the different cooling rates of varioussized lakes.

- 51 -

3.8.1 Evaporation (cont'd)

Mean Evaporation Values

Month

May

June

July

August

September

October

November 1-22

1975 Evaporationcm d~ -

0.33

0.39

0.44

0.41

0.22

0.19

0.12

1970-74 Evaporationcm d~*-

0.30

0.38

0.38

0.38

0.23

0.19*

-

•October 1-19

3.8.2 Chemistry

During the past summer and fall, water samples werecollected each week at Perch Lake from the five inlets,the lake and the outlet. Temperature, specific conduc-tivity and pH readings were taken immediately. A tritiumand bicarbonate determination was done on each samplebefore it was acidified to pH 1.5 for future analysis.

Temperature and oxygen measurements every foot fromthe lake surface to the top of the gyttja were made eachweek from a raft anchored at the center of the lake.Temperature and oxygen measurements in the lake were alsotaken every two hours from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ontwo occasions to see if there were significant differencesbetween day and night.

"j. 8 . 2 Chj2m_is_t rv (cont' d

All the water samples are now being analyzed forcations and anions of interest. A monthly compositesample of each area is to be made with the amounts ofwater added being directly proportional to the meanweekly discharge. However, it was decided to also ana-lyze each sample individually because the individualresults obtained would give a more detailed account offluctuations in ionic content.

Similar analyses are being done on rain collectedat Bldg. 513 during the summer and fall.

The analysis of previously collected fish andaquatic plants collected during the summer will bestarted as soon as new fume-hood facilities are avail-able. It is expected that these facilities will beready by the time the water analyses are complete.

3.9 ATMOSPHERIC DIFFUSION STUDIES - P.J. Barry and P.C. Jay

Routine observations continued during the year.

3.10 WASTE MANAGEMENT - W.P. Merritt and B.A. Risto

90The deep Sr plume from the 1955 test disposal ofchemical waste in the A Disposal Area has been relocatedand delineated. The l37Cs front in the plume from the1954 test has also been located. The results of thel37Cs movement in this plume indicate a distributioncoefficient of 110 for Cs in the CRNL sands.

A survey of subsurface conditions in the B WasteManagement Area is.under way. Due to a water shortage,it was not possible to finish installing during thefield season a network of wells to delineate the watertaKle. *• soil sampling survey is under way to investi-gate the movement of radioactive materials out of thearea. Samples are taken at the base and about 60 cm be-low the base of the concrete trenches. Cesium-137,

3.10 WASTE MANAGEMENT (cont'd)

"^Co and Sr have been detected in trace quantities inmany of the samples. After the survey is completed,further investigation of hot spots will be carried outand,if necessary,ground water sampling wells will be in-stalled.

3.11 GLASS BLOCK HIGH LEVEL WASTE TEST DISPOSAL - W.F. Merrittand B.A. Risto

In 1960, nepheline syenite glass blocks containinghigh level wastes were buried below the water table inthe Perch Lake swamp, water sampling to monitor theleaching of the blocks has been carried out since thattime, as well as three soil sampling surveys. Resultsnow show that the leaching rate has been essentiallyconstant for the past seven years. Calculations basedon this leaching rate show that the high level wastesfrom processing fuel for a large nuclear complex couldbe incorporated into nepheline syenite glass and buriedin the Perch Lake swamp without harm to the environment.

3.12 NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS - W.F. Merritt

Nineteen samples of precipitation collected at CRNLover a period of 18 months were analyzed for forty ele-ments. Wide variations in trace element concentrationsexist between different storms. The range of trace ele-ment concentrations for CRNL was five to ten times lowerthan those reported for the U.K. and Germany. Some ele-ments could be placed in groups which showed similar be-haviour in all the storms. No input from the "Superstack'at Sudbury was detected.

Water samples from the St. Lawrence River off theGentilly Nuclear Generating Station were collected athigh and low water and analyzed. This is part of a con-tinuing program of surveillance of the St. Lawrence ki'/tir.

3.12 NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS (cont'd)

A computer program for complete instrumental neu-tron activation analysis has been set up and appears tobe functioning satisfactory. The program now takes rawdata from the multichannel analyzer, identifies and in-tegrates peaks and calculates the amounts of the variouselements detected in the sample using a nuclear datacompilation stored in the program.

An investigation of sedimentation in the OttawaRiver has been started. The study will compare thetrace element composition of the river water with thatof settling sediment caught in pots, bottom sediment andthe suspended solids removed from water by filtration.Samples were collected from several stations near CRNLover the summer and the analyses have been started.

3.13 CO-OPERATION WITH OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS - W.F. Merritt

The University of Waterloo in conjunction with theEnvironmental Research Branch held a successful hydro-geology field school in the Perch Lake basin 6-11 May,1975. Twelve students and three observers participated.CRNL personnel demonstrated such techniques as wash bor-ing, soil and ground water sampling and point dilutiondetermination of ground water velocity. It has beenagreed to hold the school again in 1976 on a more formalbasis as part of a graduate course in the Department ofEarth Sciences.

3.14 CONTAMINANT HYDROGEOCHEMISTRY - R.E. Jackson and K.J.inch

in co-operation with W.F. Merritt and B.A. Risto(See Section 3.10) work is in progress to determine thenature of the hydrogeochemical processes affecting themigration of 90Sr and i37cs in the ground waters of awaste management area.

- 53 -

3.14 CONTAMINANT HYDROGEOCHEMISTRY (cont'd)

Considerable time was spent developing improvedfield methods of ground water sampling so that thesampling/preservation process interfered as little aspossible with the original ground water composition.For example, air-tight sampling cells made of plexiglasswith stainless steel fittings were designed and built sothat accurate estimates cf pH and the oxidation-reductionpotential could be obtained.

A hydrogeochemical laboratory was established sothat routine analyses of ground waters and their asso-ciated sediments could be carried out. The initialmineralogical work was concerned with the estimation ofmineral abundances in the fine sand fraction of the uppersand aquifer, till and weathered bedrock in the lowerPerch Lake basin.

3.15 NATURAL DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THELAPRADE HEAVY WATER PLANT - R.NL Brown and C.D. Fraser

Variations of the concentration of deuterium in St.Lawrence River water near the Gentilly Nuclear GeneratingStation through the past year have been studied. Themean annual concentration in the intake water of the Glreactor was about 147.7 ppm D/H+D. Lower concentrationsoccurred during periods of high river flow, particularlyin the spring, since the flood waters resulting from in-creased surface runoff have a lower deuterium contentthan base-flow water from the Great Lakes. Thus, thedeuterium concentration of the reactor intake water de-creased during March, reached a minimum of 143.5 ppm inmid-April and gradually recovered to 148 ppm by mid-June.A maximum concentration of 149.6 ppm was reached inAugust. In October, a short-term drop to 147.8 ppm re-flected increased flow in the river due to fall rains.

- Sfa

5.1' NATURAL DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THELAPRADE HEAVY WATER PLANT (cont'd)

Concentrations in river water about 700 in offshoreof the Gl intake were similar to those observed in theintake water. Samples taken further offshore, at theentrance to the South Channel and in the mainstream,showed that the spring drop in concentration occursfirst, and is greatest, at the more inshore site, pro-bably due to local snowmelt runoff.

3.16 ENVIRONMENTAL ISOTOPE HYDROLOGY - R.M. Brown and C D .Fraser

Studies of the usefulness of naturally distributedisotopes as hydrological tracers have continued in avariety of systems, usually in collaboration with wor-kers of the Department of Earth Sciences, Universitycf Waterloo. Deuterium and tritium are measured atCRNL, oxygen and carbon isotope ratios at Waterloo.

3.16.1 Mixing of Waters in the St. Lawrence Estuary (withuniversite du Quebec a Rimouski) - R.M. Brown and Y-C.Tam

The distribution of tritium and deuterium in theSt. Lawrence River in the region of river water - seawater mixing has been studied. in general, tritium anddeuterium concentrations identify the influx of seawater at depth and the persistence of river water atthe surface. Pockets of water with anomalous isotopiccontent indicate inhomogeneities in the mixing whichare not always apparent from salinity data. The iso-tope data will be correlated with chemical data mea-sured at the Universite du Quebec a Rimouski.

3.16.2 Sanitary Landfill Site Studies (with University ofWaterloo) - C D . Fraser and R.M. Brown

Seepage from garbage dumps always presents a poten-tial pollution hazard to underlying aquifers. A studyis under way of the penetration of environmental HTO

3.16.2 Sanitary Landfill Site Studies (with University orWaterloo) (cont'd)

into the heavy clay underlying potential garbage dumpsites in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This clay has very lowtransmissibility when compacted but cracks and micro-fissures which occur in its natural state may permita slow but significant seepage into the underlyingaquifer which is used extensively for industrial v/a-ter supply. Cores of the clay have been obtained, fromwhich water will be extracted for tritium analysis.Water seeping into the core holes will also be studied.

It has been observed at a long-established garbagedump in Frankfurt, Germany that ground water immediatelydownstream of the site is enriched in deuterium and *• orelative to the surrounding ground water. The mechan-ism whereby the isotopic anomaly is established has notbeen identified as yet, but it provides a useful markerfor water that has passed through refuse of a landfillsite.

3.16.3 Water Supply Studies (with University of Waterloo) -R.M. Brown and C D . Fraser

An extensive study of oxygen isotope ratios in thewaters of the Upper Carbonate Aquifer of southern Mani-toba by P. Fritz and co-workers. University of Waterloo,has been supplemented by deuterium and tritium measure-ments at CRNL. Deuterium variations have confirmed theregional patterns observed for 0 and the unusuallylow content of heavy isotopes in waters coming fromsouth of Winnipeg. Tritium measurements have supple-mented the C data of university of Waterloo workersin studying the age of waters in the various parts ofthe system.

The Nova Scotia Department of the Environment if.investigating saline conditions in wells near stellar-ton. Nova Scotia. Tritium and deuterium measurementshave been done to learn something of the origin o! H H

l.h-.i Wa_tejr Supply Studies (with University of Waterloo)(cont'd)

waters involved. Tritium concentrations ranging from0 to 70 TU indicated ages from > 25 years to recent.Deuterium concentrations were relatively uniform, quitesimilar to local precipitation. Thus, the isotopedata indicate that the saline water is not entrappedsea water, tout probably normal recharge water leachingout deposits of marine salts.

Isotope measurements on river and well waters froma Canadian international Development Agency study inthe Sahel region of northern Nigeria give informationon the recharge-discharge sequence of waters of the re-gion. The high evaporation rate of the region causesa progressive enrichment of the deuterium and 1^0 ofsurface waters after the rainy season, permitting dif-ferentiation between immediate infiltration and thatfrom drainage streams. Tritium concentrations in wellwaters differentiate between recently recharged waterand "old1' water.

3.16.4 Infiltration studies on East Side of Perch Lake Basin,CRtJL - R.M. Brown, C D . Fraser and Y-C. Tarn

The isotopic composition of ground waters in thissmall recharge-discharge area is being measured on acontinuing basis to see how seasonal fluctuations oftritium, deuterium and ^ o a r e modified during infiltra-tion and incorporation into the ground water system.Evaporation of reactor HTO from nearby Perch Lake pro-vides an elevated input of tritium to the area. Therelationship of tritium content of fresh vegetation tothat of atmospheric and soil moisture is being studiedin this area also.

The persistence of surface water tritium carriedinto the piezometer holes during boring demonstratedthat normal ground water conditions may not be recovereduntil several months after piezometer installation, afact to be borne in mind in all studies of ground water

3.16.4 Infiltration Studies on East Side of Perch Lake Basin,CRNL (cont'd)

18chemistry. Deuterium and o concentrations in theground water of the area vary little with location,depth or time. in contrast, tritium concentrationsrange from 0 to 1000 TU. A band of high tritium con-centration is observed midway between the water tableand bedrock. At one location tritium concentrationsof < 10 TU occur at depths of 10 m below the watertable in spite of a concentration of 60,000 TU inPerch Lake, only 35 m distant.

In the coming year, the unsaturated zone will beinstrumented for physical measurements and isotopedistribution studied during infiltration events usingmoisture extracted from soil cores and obtained fromsuction tensiometer cups.

3.17 DEUTERIUM AND TRITIUM ANALYSIS - R.M. Brown and C D .Fraser

During the year a new low background laboratorywas completed. The counting room, shielded with 0.5 mof low radioactivity concrete, provided a reduction inbackground of the liquid scintillation counter to 2.2counts/min in an optimum tritium window. A 1 - errorof ± 6 TU is achieved for 500 min counting time. Attimes, tritium concentrations of 1000-2000 TU have beenobserved in the atmosphere moisture of the laboratory,probably brought in by supplies and personnel from themain CRNL laboratories. A simple glove box, equili-brated with tritium-free water, has been constructedin which very low level samples are handled.

Deuterium analysis has been facilitated by installa-tion of a new AECL-Micro Mass D/H spectrometer dedicatedto this work.

.18 GAMMA DOSE RATES AT THE CRNL BOUNDARY - W.E. Grummitt

Thermoluminescent dosimeters placed at the perimeterof the CRNL exclusion area are used to measure mean doserates and the annual integrated dose. Results for 1974and for the third quarter of 1975 give the sum of contri-butions from CRNL and natural gamma radiation. The CRNLportion can be estimated by subtracting the dose due tonatural gamma radiation from the values given below.Natural background varies throughout the year due toshielding from soil moisture and snow cover. Measure-ments with a dose-rate meter give an average value of5.7 j.iR/h at the ten sites for the third quarter of theyear (range 5.4 to 7.4 .JR/h\

TLD Gamma Dose Rates in Public Area1

Location(See Figure 4)

1—12

3

4

5

1 67

8

13

Deep Riverj

Third Quarter1975

11.6

6.5

5.6

7.9

6.9

6.5

6.9

10.7

11.9

8.8

1974Average

11.6

6.6

5.0

6.3

5.2

4.3

8.9

9.6

9.6

6.6

1 Sum of natural background and airborne contaminationfrom CRNL. The dose from cosmic radiation has beenestimated by exposing controls in a shielded castle inthe basement of Bldg. 513 and subtracting the readingon the controls from the total observed at other sta-tions. This method may underestimate the cosmic raycomponent by - 2

- 61 -

3.18 GAMMA DOSE RATES AT THE CRNL BOUNDARY (cont'd)

Argon-41 dose rates at the boundary of the exclusionarea range from 0.2 to 6.6 jjjl/h with highest values be-ing observed at sites along the Ottawa River. Argon pro-duction was higher in 1975 than in previous years as bothNRX and NRU were operating.

3.19 GAMMA DOSE RATES IN THE EXCLUSION AREA - W.E. Grummitt

Shielded (indoor) and unshielded (outdoor) gammaray dose rates in the CRNL exclusion area are given lie-low. The reduction in dose rate observed in Bldg. 513is due to shielding from 35 cm of concrete in the floorsabove the detector.

TLD Gamma Dose Rates in Exclusion Area

Location(See Figure 4)

9

11

9 office1

(uR/h>

FirstQuarter

32.9

15.8

16.7

SecondQuarter

46.7

18.1

23.6

ThirdQuarter

29.2

12.0

16.2

1974Averaye

28.7

l'l.l

16.1

1 First floor office in Bldg. 513. Shielding factor for4-1-Ar gamma ray is 12. Background in the room due tobrick and concrete construction materials is 13 :R/h.The dose rate from Argon averages 3 |iR/h.

3.20 OFF-SITE MONITORING - W.E. Grummitt

Precipitation samples collected from the area aroundthe Nuclear Power Demonstration (NPD) station, Rolphton,and from Deep River were analyzed radiochemically for90Sr and spectrometrically for 137Cs and other gnmmaemitters. Monthly composite samples of water from the

T,.':>~) OPl'-SITK MONITORING (cont'd)

Ottawa River, collected at Rolphton, Deep River andPembroke, were also analyzed for gamma emitting nuclides,tritium and Sr. Gamma ray spectrometry is being usedwherever possible, eliminating radiochemical separationof elements other than strontium, sulphur, phosphorus andPlutonium. The results are shown in Figure 2. The mainsource of activity in these samples continues to beweapons' fallout.

3.21 LIQUID EFFLUENT MONITORING - W.E. Grummitt

At CRNL, four liquid effluent streams discharge ra-dioactivity to the river from the Inner Area. They arethe Process and Sanitary Sewers plus the 04 Storm Sewerand 04A Seepage Drain. Each of these is sampled regu-larly and is analyzed for individual nuclides. The meandaily release from the Process Sewer is given in thetable for the third quarter of 197 5. Several additionalradionuclides are now being analyzed for by gamma rayspectrometry.

Perch Creek (see map, Figure 3), draining Perch Lakeand the disposal areas, also flows into the river and issampled regularly. The total amount of radioactivitydischarged from CRNL per day is calculated from the mea-sured flow rates and radionuclide concentrations in in-dividual streams (see Figure 2).

At no time did the average concentrations of radio-nuclides in the combined effluent flows exceed 1% of theICRP 40-hour occupational MPC for drinking water.

3.21 LIQUID EFFLUENT MONITORING (cont'd]

Mean Daily Release from the Process Sewer(mCi/day)

Radionuclides Daily Release

90Sr

137Cs

144Ce

106Ru

140Ba

131.

239,Np

95Zr

54Mn

46Sc

59Fe

65Zn

60Co

4.8

5.8

27.5

0.2

45.1

31.5

49.6

41.4

4.6

7.7

4.3

51.8

1.4

3.22 LIQUID DISPOSAL AREA - W.E. Grummitt

Weekly samples and flow readings were taken at weirson the surface streams carrying contaminated seepaqewater from the Liquid Disposal Area into Perch and

-.22 .,101'L:) ".U- l'OSAL AREA (cont'd)

Maskinonge Lakes (see map, Figure 3). Samples were com-bined and analyzed monthly for 90Sr, 35S and 3H as wellas quarterly for gamma emitting radionuclides.Strontium-90, 60Co and 3H are still the main contaminantsin the Perch Lake basin.

*

"5.2 3 TRITIUM SURVEY - W.E. Grummitt and G. Lahaie

Average concentrations of tritium in streams withini lie exclusion area are given in the table together withthe amount released during the third quarter of 1975.

Tritium in Streams in the Exclusion Area

Process Sewer

Sanitary Sewer

04 storm Sewer

04A (building610 drainage)

Perch Creek

Duke Stream2

Third Quarter 197 5 '

Concentrat ionuCiA

0.052

0.02 5

0.001

0.95

0.042

4 . 2

QuarterlyRelease

Curies

5 2 0

1 . 9

0.34

3 . 8

1 . 3

35

19741

TotalCuries

3400

13

2

16

8 0 0

270

!

19751

TotalCuries

3120

38

2

13

340

2 8 0

1 For the twelve-month period ending 1 December.

: Duke stream discharges into Maskinonge Lake; all otherstreams flow directly to the Ottawa River.

3.2 3 TRITIUM SURVEY (cont'd)

The amounts of tritium added to the disposal areaand leaving the Perch Lake system are listed in thefollowing table.

Curies of Tritium Added to the Liquid DisposalArea and Leaving the Perch Lake System

19721 1973 1974- l'J/v i

Transferred to theLiquid Disposal Area

Entering Perch Lake

Leaving Perch Lake

Discharged to OttawaRiver

1430

1200

840

820

180

940

1170

1150

2 00

780

710

6 90

1<J

V>

33

3C

i

0

0

1 For the twelve-month period ending 1 December.

Evaporative losses amount to ~. 200 Ci per year fromPerch Lake and ~ 10 Ci per year from the beaver dans be-tween the lake and the Ottawa River. The amount cf tri-tium transferred to the Liquid Disposal Area in recentyears is substantially lower than prior to 1°73.

3.24 LAND GAMMA SUMMARY - W.E. Grummitt

Routine surveys have been made of Highway 17 fromDeep River to Pembroke and of most of the roads insidethe plant boundary. Mean fields vary from 6 to 40 ;R/h,no increase in background levels has been observed.

3.2 5 SURVEY SUMMARY - W.E. Grummitt

No significant contamination of the environment resulting from operations at CRNL has been detected in thesifsurveys.

- t)O -

PUBLICATIONS

Barry, P.J. - "Stochastic properties of atmosphericdiffusivity". (Preprint of a contribution to "TheEffects of Sulphur in Canada1'- to be published bythe National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa,Ontario). Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, ReportAECL-5012.

Barry, P.J. and F. Entwistle - "Tritium in lower PerchLake basin". Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Re-port AECL-5039.

Barry, P.J. (Editor) - "Hydrological studies on a smallbasin on the Canadian shield". Atomic Energy ofCanada Limited, Report AECL-5041. [A collectionof 2 3 papers by various authors]

Barry, P.J. - "Perch lake evaporation study - a personalassessment pp. 61-89 in Hydrological Studies on aSmall Basin on the Canadian Shield. AECL, ChalkRiver.

Barry, P.J. - "Perch Lake", pp. 93-130 in HydrologicalStudies on a Small Basin on the Canadian Shield.AECL, Chalk River.

Barry, P.J. and P.C. Jay - "Horizontal mixing in a lakeunder ice cover", pp. 357-372 in Hydrological Studieson a Small Basin on the Canadian Shield. AECL, ChalkRiver.

Barry, P.J. and E. Robertson - "The energy budget ofPerch Lake", pp. 375-414 in Hydrological studieson a Small Basin on the Canadian Shield. AECL,Chalk River.

Barry, p.j. and E. Robertson - "An equation for estimatingevaporation from Perch Lake based on aerodynamicmethods", pp. 449-457 in Hydroloqical Studies on aSmall Basin on the Canadian Shield. AECL, ChalkRiver.

3.2 6 PUBLICATIONS (cont'd)

Barry, P.J. - "Measuring evaporation of tritiated water(HTO) by aerodynamic methods", pp. 471-4 96 inHydrological Studies on a Small Basin on the c_-i n a d i a MShield. AECL, Chalk River.

Barry, P.J., E. Robertson and D.P. wildsmith - "Ust o'

the water budget to determine the ground water intr.:'to Perch Lake", pp. 5 5 7-576 in Hydrological studio,on a Small Basin on the Canadian Shield. /*!•:<:',,Chalk River.

Champ, D.R. and M. Gold - ABSTRACT "neoxyribor.ueifcOf. ;-:of Escherichia coli", p. 15 9 in Proc. of. the ' i1

dian Federation of Biological Societies, vo 1 . 1''.University of Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Gacs, I. - "Distribution of some major and minor eleim nt:-in the Perch Lake system", pp. 167-188 in Hydxo l_ogical Studies on a Small Basin on the Canadian •":< : >. ' i.AECL, Chalk River.

Gentner, S-R. - "Vegetation of a Perch Lake sub-basin",pp. 221-234 in Hydrological Studies on a Small is.is inon the Canadian Shield. AECL, Chalk River.

Jay, P.C. - "Morphology of Perch Lake", pp. 131-1 "Ml :-i

Hydrological Studies on a Small Basin on the can-u!i.inShield. AECL, Chalk River.

Merritt. W.F. - "Variation in trace element concent.rat ir>"s-along the length of the Ottawa River". Ca n_._ , I.Earth Sci. 12(5): 850-857.

Merritt, W.F. and B.A. Risto - "Calibration and historyof the Perch Lake weirs", pp. 297-310 in HydjrolojL-cal Studies on a Small Basin on the i anad_i_an '.'}; i e I • i.AECL, Chalk River.

Merritt, W.F. - "Ground water velocity measurements ivpoint dilution", pp. 615-624 in Hydrologica 1 :;t_.)d i >•:;a Small Basin on the Canadian Shield. Arc',, •':.;!• ••<••

v.'M.ihon, J.U. »nd A.K. Docherty - "Temporal variationsLn the vji'osphorus content of a Northern dystrophicInke". Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, ReportA!'01,- " l')3.

>y.\Mihon, J.W. :\r.C A.:-:. Docherty - "Effects of heat en-richment on species succession and primary produc-tion in fresh-water olrinkton'; pp. 52 9-^4h in Envir-onmental Effects of Cooling Systems at Nuclear Power••' 1 ants . :AE A, Vienr.a .

Ophel, I.L. - Book Review: "Uadioecology" (Edited byV.M. KlechXovskii et 31.1. The Quarterly Reviewof Biology 49(4): 111."

ophel , I. Li. - Letter to Editor Re: Article entitled"pollution Probe". Moncton Transcript, New Bruns-wick .

Harrison, F.L.1 and I.L, Ophel - "Freshwater environment",pp. 122-126 in Chapter 4 (Aquatic Environment) ofLong-Term Worldwide Effects of Multiple Nuclear-yyeapons Detonations. National Academy of Sciences,Washington, D.C.

Ophel, I.L. - "Ionizing radiation effects", pp. 126-135in Chapter 4 (Aquatic Environment) of Long-TermWorldwide Effects of Multiple Nuclear weapons De-tonations . National Ac-demy of Sciences, Washington,D.C.

3.2 7 VERBAL PRESENTATIONS

3.27.1 Presented Papers

i'arry, P.J. and E. Robertson - "A brief review of theprincipal results of the Perch Lake Evaporation Study'presented at Canadian Hydrology Symp. '75, 11-1-+August, 1975, Winnipeg, Manitoba. [To be printed inproceedingsi INVITED

r,.:wrcn-:f_ Li •.••:. r-nore Laboratory, California, U.S.A.

3.27.1 Presented Papers (cont'd)

Fritz. P.1 , G. Matthess2 and R.M. Brown - "Deuterium .i-vJ180 as indicators of leachwater movement from nsanitary landfill". Presented at IAEA Panel Meet ini,January, 1975, Vienna, Austria. [To be printed inproceedings]

Fritz, P.1, F.W. Render5 , R.M. Brown and R.j. Dr-immu^ -"Environmental isotopes in the groundwater o!r theUpper Carbonate aquifer in Central Manitoba". Pre-sented at Canadian Hydrology Symposium '75, 11-1 •',August, 1975, Winnipeg, Manitoba. [To be printedin proceedings]

Champ, D.R. and M. Goldb - "New endonucleases in Esc-'.t. r i -chia coli". Presented at 18th Annual Meetiny oi ' h<\Canadian Federation of Biological Societies, Uni-versity of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 24-27 ,:um ,1975. [To be printed in proceedings]

Grummitt, W.E. - "Transfer of cobalt-60 to plants :;romcontaminated soils". Presented at Fourth NationalSymposium on Radioecology, Corvallis, Oregon, 12-14May, 1975. [To be printed in proceedings]

Merritt, W.F., R.E. Jackson''and J.F. Pick ens1 - "Migra-tion of ^Sr and ''-27Cs in a shallow, groundwaterflow system". Presented at Waterloo '75, Geologi-cal Association of Canada Joint Annual Meeting,University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, 1r;-17May, 1975. [To be printed in proceedings]

ophel, I.L. and J.M. Judd - "Effect of food compositionon the accumulation by fish of strontium and calciumfrom food and water". Presented at Fourth NationalSymposium on Radioecology, Corvallis, Oregon, 12-14May, 1975. [To be printed in proceedings]

""-University of Waterloo, Waterloo, OntariorKiel University, Kiel, Germany'''Manitoba Dept. of the Environment, Winnipeg, M<~m it4 Environment Canada, Ottawa, Ontario5 University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario

- 70 -

'<. 2 ;. 2 i.cctures or Seminars

Ophel, I.L. - Participated in a National Academy of Sciences

Workshop entitled "Long-term Effects of Nuclear Wea-

pons", Washington, D.C., 7-11 January, 1975. INVITED

Ophel, I.L. - "Research programs of the Environmental Re-search Branch related to the nuclear power program".Presented to the Environmental Research Branch, WNRE,Pinawa, 6 May, 197 5.

Ophel, I.L. - "Environmental considerations in the Canadiannuclear power program". Presented at a Symposium onNuclear Energy: Its Impacts on the Environment,Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres, Trois-Rivieres,Quebec, 20 November, 1975.

3.27.3 Local Talks

Barry, P.J. - "Environmental studies at. Perch Lake". Pre-sented at Summer Student Guides Training Program,CRNL, 13 May, 1975.

Brown, R.M. - "Tritium and deuterium in natural waters".Presented at Summer Student Guides Training Program,CRNL, 13 May, 1975.

Grummitt, w.E. - "Environmental monitoring". Presentedat 17th Annual Health Physics Course, CRNL, 18-22August, 1975.

Merritt, W.P. - "The handling of radionuclides". Pre-sented to Biology and Health Physics Division, CRNL,22 January, 1975.

Merritt, w.F. - "Environmental effects of nuclear power".Presented at Canadian Forces Nuclear, Biologicaland chemical Staff Officers' Course, CRNL, 11 March,1975.

- 1,

3.2 7.3 Local Talks (cont'd)

Merritt, W.F. - "Monitoring the Outer Area at CRNL". Pre-sented at Summer Student Guides Training Program,CRNL, 13 May, 1975.

iMerritt, W.F. - "Monitoring for waste management at CRNL".Presented at 17th Annual Health Physics Course, CRNL,18-22 August, 1975.

McMahon, J.W. - "Research programs of the EnvironmentalResearch Branch related to the nuclear power program".Presented to University of Toronto students, CRNL,,18 February, 1975.

McMahon, J.W. - "Radioecology research program in Environ-mental Research Branch". Presented at Summer StudentGuides Training Program, CRNL, 13 May, 1975.

McMahon, J.W. - "Animals in teacups - a glimpse at themicroscopic plants and animals in lake waters".Presented at Keys Senior Public School, Deep Riv«2r,Ontario, 20 June, 1975.

Ophel, I.L. - "Activities of Environmental Research Branch".Presented to Defence Research Board Panel, CRNL,24 January, 1975.

Ophel, I.L. - "Food chains". Presented to Grade 13 Biologystudents, Mackenzie High School, Deep River, Ontario,18 March, 1975.

Ophel, I.L. - "Is Lake Erie dead?" Presented at KeysSenior Public School, Deep River, Ontario, 28 May,1975.

Ophel, I.L. - "Environment and man". Presented at 17thAnnual Health Phy ics Course, CRNL, 18-22 August, 107:,

Ophel, I.L. - "Environmental Research Branch". Present!.-!to North Atlantic Hydrologic Group, CRNL, 10 September1975.

(cont'd)

Ophel, I.L. - "Activities of the Environmental ResearchBranch". Presented to Royal Military College ofCanada cadets, CRNL, 13 November, 1975.

Robertson, E. - "Perch Lake IHD project". Presented, toNorth Atlantic Hydrologic Group, CRNL, 10 September,1975.

3.28 TNYIT ED S PEAKERS

Mr. A.C. Chamberlain, Atomic Energy Research Establishment,Harwell, England - "Recent work in the AerosolsGroup of the Environmental and Medical SciencesDivision, AERE Harwell", 25 September, 1975.

Dr. J.D. Campbell, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,Manitoba - "Growing plants under protection inNorthern Canada", 9 April, 1975.

Dr. G. Szeicz, Department of Geography, University ofToronto, Toronto, Ontario - "Atmosphere, vegetationand gaseous wastes", 21 May, 1975.

Mr. W.L. Templeton, Ecosystems Department, BattellePacific Northwest Laboratories, Richland, Washington- "New directions in ecosystems research at BattelleNorthwest", 24 October, 1975.

- 7 3 -

pci./;.

0 . 8

D . 4

R 0 L P H T 0 N ' 3 7 C s

l i I I i I I I I I i I

J F M A M J J A S O N O

r

0 . 6-

RO L PH i ON 9 0 S

I i I i I i i I L 1 . 1 .F M A M 1 ) A S 0 N G

PC i/l

0 . 8 I " D E E P R I V E R ! 3 7 C s

0 . 4

_ J L_J ! I 1_J L _ l I 1 IJ F M A M J J A S O N D

. 2

0. 6

D E E P R I V E R y 0 S

J I 1 I I 1 L_l_l....l ± . JF M A M J J A S O N n

pci/'

0. 8

0. 4

P E M B R O K E 1 3 7 C s

i i i i i i i i i i iJ F M A M J J A S O N D

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P E M B R O K E

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Figure 1- Ottawa River water.

- 74 -

.11!!' ' - N O M I N A L £

F M A M J J A S 0 N D

5r2 -

9

6

3

9C

J 1 I I I I I i I IJ F M A M J ] A S 0 N D

I— ! 37 Cs

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F M A M I i A S O N D

1 I I I I I

SO ND

I 3

f « ,1 M i : 1 i G N 0

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239 Pu

J F M A M i J A S O N

' ! : i ts ( i : .sf ar.r^d to < t t awa Hi

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\

i\

. i

LA i ION R E S E A R C H IM<ANU H

by

llowanl I'I. Newc

4. I S ta f f

•I. Z Aims of the Branch

TUMOR IMH'CTION IN MAMMALS

4. i A d d i t i v e v « r s n s m u l t i p l i c - . i t i v . - f f c i t s i n r a d i . i t i . M I < i <• > i " , •••'• ••.••

METHODS FOR DER1VINV, HUMAN DAI A ON

DISEASES LIKELY TO BE INCREASED I'. Y

IRRADIATION - - D E V E L O P M E N T <>l- III!':

_TNJ;T)R M A'I_lON S_()l|_!U' ES

4 . 4 O r j 4 a n i / . a t i t > n < > ( b i r i h a n d n i a r r i J i j c • • • • > < > ! • < ! . • ,

4 . S L i n k i n ^ i l 1 - h t - a I t h r n n r d s l o r i I n K ! r < - n \.. \>\ r i l i s m i • " . i r •, i • . . . :

4 . t ' i L i n k i n g i l l h e a l t h r c m r d s i n t o i m l i v i d u . i ! I w a l t h ! n : i . : i

• 1 . 7 A s c e r t a i n i n g c o n i i c n i t . i l t v . i 1 t o r n >. . i t i o n s l h r i > u u . h 11 • > . - . ; • 1 1 . t I i . . •<•'

4 . 8 A E c ; l . - l J H ( ; c u l l a b o r a t i v t : r . ' v o r . - i i i n i - . « ) _ • ' • | > r o | . - , ;

4 . ' ) A E f : L - U B ( ; c o l l a b o r a t i o n - o t h e r v . o r l - . s t a r t . - r i a t A 1 < !

4 . 1 0 C o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h o t l u - r o u t s i d e a i ' c m u : .

1 * i J ! ' ' A£ A ' l I O N S A N I ) 1 N V I I I''. D S ! •! . A !•. I- i' '

4 . I I P u ! > l i < a t i c . n . s

4 . I . ' . V e r b . i l I ' n ' s c i t j i i - r .

4 . I .'.. I I ..-. t u r e s , , r • . ,- . . ,. . ,

• 1 . I '• | t , V l l . - l ! . S p e . l , •• ! • , ,

S'l AFT

branch Head - H. E. Newcombe

Hereditary changes and tumor induction in vertebratea

Assistant J. F. McGregor

Methods for deriving human data on diseases likely tobe increased by irradiation

M. E. Smith

Secretarial - C.I. Walters1

4. I AIMS OF THE BRANCH

The Branch attempts to obtain biological data withwhich to assess the consequences of exposing large numbersof people to low levels of radiation. Information is derivedfrom irradiated and unirradiated populations of laboratoryanimals, and new computer methods are being developedat CRN1 for extracting data for man from existing vitaland health records.

TUMOR INDUCTION IN MAMMALS

4. > ADDITIVE VERSUS MULTIPLICATIVE EFFECTS INRADIATION CARCINOGENESIS - H. B. Newcombe andJ. F. McGregor

A five-year experiment with white rats was begun in1<>7} lo determine whether radiation in combination withcigarette tar would result in an incidence of tumors markedlyin excess of the sum of the yields for the two carcinogensgiven separately. In part of this experiment a carcinogenicdyestuff (2-anthramine) is substituted for the cigarette tar,

Kcpiai ing B. L. Phillips who left 31 December, 1975 on MaternityI .cave.

a s a n a d d i t i o n a l c o n t r o l . T h i s s t u d v d i f f e r s f r w . ,.!>.• • i- '•• •-f o r s y n e r g i s m in t h a t a n a t t e m p t w i l l b e m a d e t o U C I I T I I M I K 1

w h e t h e r t h e y i e l d s of t u m o r s fit t h o s e p r e d i c t e d on t h ea s s u m p t i o n of a p o s s i b l e ' ' m u l t i p l i c a t i v e " e f f e c t of t h ei r r a d i a t i o n on t h e f r e q u e n c i e s of t h e t u m o r s tha t o n u r is ..r e s u l t of o t h e r i n f l u e n c e s .

T h e e x p e r i m e n t is b e i n g c a r r i e d ou t in t h r e e p h a s e s ,

e a c h of 18 m o n t h s d u r a t i o n : 1) a s e r i e s of a n i m a l s ; e x p o s e d

to l o c a l i z e d b e t a i r r a d i a t i o n s of t h e s k i n , w i t h d o s e s rar.L1 I;U.

f r o m 8 0 0 - 1 2 , 8 0 0 r a d s , in t w o f o l d s t e p s , to d e t e r m i n e !'i •

d o s e - r e s p o n s e r e l a t i o n s h i p ; 2) a s e r i e s e x p o s e d t o a p p l w . r

of 4 0 % c i g a r e t t e t a r (in a c e t o n e ) , a n d of 1 " ' , t). ^ " ' , a n d 0. .' •

a n t h r a m i n e ( in a c e t o n e ) , t o t h e s k i n , t h r e e t i m e s a n d t v. n <••

w e e k l y , r e s p e c t i v e l y , fo r o v e r a y e a r to d e t e r n i n e the

i n c i d e n c e of t u m o r s ; 3) a s e r i e s e x p o s e d to the. t w o k i n d s <>t

t r e a t m e n t s in c o m b i n a t i o n , t o t e s t fo r m u l t i p l i c a t i v e s \ i ; e t L ' -••

1 h e f i r s t p h a s e ( i r r a d i a t i o n a l o n e ) h a s b e e n c o m p l e t e d .F o r t h e f i v e r a d i a t i o n d o s e s ( 8 0 0 , 1600 , 3 2 0 0 , 6 4 0 0 and1 2 , 8 0 0 r a d s ) t h e i n c i d e n c e of b e n i g n t u m o r s i n c r e a s e d tr<u<.2 p e r c e n t in t h e c o n t r o l s t o 2 2 , 9 0 , H'f, 8 3, a n d 7S p e r i< nir e s p e c t i v e l y , t h e d e c l i n i n g p o r t i o n of t h e . u r v e b e i n g pre . su ••••; nd u e to c e l l k i l l i n g . F o r b u p e r f i c i a l c a n u r s t h e i n c i d e n < er o s e w i t h t h e f o u r h i g h e s t d o s e s t o 22 , 2 6 , •> 3 a n d 20 p e r < <-'itr e s p e c t i v e l y ; no s u c h c a n c e r s w e r e o b s e r v e d in th.* HUO r.idg r o u p o r in t h e u n i r r a d i a t e d c o n t r o l s . S u b c u t a n e o u s t u p - w r sw e r e a l s o c o u n t e d a n d the c o r r e s p o n d i n t i y i e l d s oi t h e s e w e r e4 , 6 , 19, 14, a n d 15 p e r c e n t t o r t h e 800 - 1 2 , 8 0 0 r a d d o s e s ,w i t h 2 p e r c e n t f o r t h e c o n t r o l s .

A b y - p r o d u c t f r o m t h i s p h a s e of t h e e x p e r i m e n t h a sr e v e a l e d a p o s i t i v e c o r r e l a t i o n (p < 0. 01) b e t w e e n t u m o r l a t e n ta n d r a d i a t i o n d o s e . T h i s e f f e c t is o p p o s i t e in d i r e c t i o n !ot h a t r e p o r t e d b y m o s t p r e v i o u s i n v e s t i g a t o r s ; a n d it is row

c l e a r t h a t t h e d i r e c t i o n of a n y s u c h c o r r e l a t i o n m u s t v a r . wit! ,c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h a t h a v e not y e t b e e n i d e n t i f i e d . An a n a l v M S

f t h e d a t a h a s b e e n s u b m i t t e d fo r p u b l i c a t i o n .

P a r t of t h e s e c o n d p h a s e of the e x p e r i m e n t fi r . - . i r e t t e

t a r a l o n e , a n d 2 - a n ' h r a m i n e a l o n e ) is a l m o s t i o r r p ' e i e .

N o s i g n i f i c : a n t i n c r e a s e in si; in ' . u p - o r s in t h e t r e a t . •<: . i r i . i - : i

- SO -

H I i i i r r i ' d f o l l o w i n g 1 o m o n t h s o f r e p e a t e d p a i n t i n g s w i t hi i^an-t'^ ';ir. I his is true even when the surface layersof skin were removed by repeated stripping with pressuresensitive tape (bimonthly up to one year) for the purpose ofst imulut inn cell -proliferat ion and possible neoplastic(ii-vrlopmrnt. 'J he actual tumor frequencies are 3. 5°/, ( 3/8?•)for the controls, 1. 2"", (1/81) for the tarred group, and 4. 7"',( i 8^) for tlie tarred and stripped group. In addition, however,a total of 7 tumors (6 subcutaneous and 1 epidermal) occurredrotiiolc from the treated areas in the two tarred groupscombined, whereas no such tumors were found in the controls,making a combined frequency of 7. 2% (12/166) as comparedwith •>. S1^ for the controls.

A preliminary test for synergism, separate from themain study, has now demonstrated that the yield of benignskin tumors from combined treatment with radiation andi. igarotte tar is as much as three-fold greater (p < 0. 01) thanfrom radiation alone. A report on this work is in press, anda larger repeat-experiment was started in June of 1965.

Flans are being prepared to get the third phase of themain experiment, i. e. radiation in combination with cigarettetar and with 2-anthramine, under way early in 1976.

S tUK DERIVING HUMAN FATA ONDISEASES LIKELY TO BE INCREASED BYIRRADIATION - - DEVELOPMENT OF THE

INFORMATION SOURCES

4. 4 ORGANIZATION OF EIRTH AND MARRIAGE RECORDS -H. P. Newcombe and M. E. Smith

A file of 953, 3 11 magnetic tape 3-word birth summaryrecords, relating to 1946-70 British Columbia live birthsand stillbirths, was sorted by control code, event year andregistration number. Selected sample listings were preparedlor each year, and the sorted file was checked for correct

This numeric birth file will be used when determiningh<- efficiency of the computer linkage of ill-health records

- 8 1 -

to b i r t h r e c o r d s . A p r i n t o u t m a y b e t r a d e of .ill b i r t h r .« o n :i n f o r m a t i o n a v a i l a b l e f o r c a s e s w h e r e t h e r e l e v a n t b i r t hr e g i s t r a t i o n n u m b e r l o c a t e d b y a m a n u a l s e a r c h , a n d t ha td e r i v e d by c o m p u t e r l i n k a g e , d i f f e r . T h e s e l i s t i n g s c a nt h e n b e e x a m i n e d v i s u a l l y to e s t i m a t e the c o m p u t e r l i n k a g ee r r o r r a t e , a n d a l s o i t s s u c c e s s r a t e w h e n * h u m a n s e a r c h e r sf a i l e d .

4. 5 L I N K I N G I L L - H E A L T . l R E C O R D S F O R C H I L D R E N I O HUM II

S U M M A R Y R E C O R D S • H. P . Newc o r r b e a n d M. K. S m i t h

A f i l e of 3 2 4 , 0 0 0 4 - w o r d i l l - h e a l t h r e c o r d s ( inc ludim. 1

1 9 6 1 - 7 0 h o s p i t a l a d m i s s i o n - s e p a r a t i o n r e c o r d s r e l a t i n g ti>c h i l d r e n u n d e r a g e t en w i t h d i s e a s e s of p a r t i c u l a r g e n e t ui n t e r e s t , 1 9 5 2 - 7 2 r e g i s t r a t i o n s of h a n d i c a p p i n g c o n d i t i o n - ,1 9 6 4 - 7 2 c o n g e n i t a l a n o m a l y s u r v e i l l a n c e r e c o r d s , a n d1 9 4 6 - 7 0 d e a t h r e c o r d s ) w a s p r e p a r e d , a n d t h e n l i n k e d ton e a r l y a m i l l i o n 1 9 4 6 - 7 0 B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a i - w o r db i r t h r e c o r d s . T h e c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m u s e d to l i n k t h ea b o v e r e c o r d s w a s f i r s t t e s t e d o n a s m a l l s a m p l e , a n d t h e !l a t e r t h e fu l l p r o d u c t i o n j o b w a s c a r r i e d ou t .

T h r e e a l t e r n a t i v e s e q u e n c e s were ; e m p l o y e d in t h e link..</.o p e r a t i o n ; 1) s i n g l e S o u n d e x ( p h o n e t i c s u r n a m e c o d e ) and i u r ' hd a t e , 2) s i n g l e S o u n d e x a n d f o r e n a m e , a n d 1) b i r t h <!;.!< ..iloue.O v e r e i g h t y p e r c e n t of t h e i l l h e a l t h f i le was-: f o u n d to rela1 , .-t o i n d i v i d u a l s b o r n in B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a d u r u m t h e l ' .Md-Vop e r i o d . A b o u t 94T( of t h e l i n k a g e s w e r e a c h i e v e d u s i n g tin1

f i r s t s o r t i n g s e q u e n c e , 4° ' in t h e s e c o n d s e q u e n c e , a n d t h er e m a i n i n g 2% in t h e f i na l s e q u e n c e . T h e f i r s t l i n k a g e o p e r a t i o nw a s c a r r i e d o u t a t a r a t e of 2 0 , 0 0 0 l i n k a g e s p e r m i n u t e , t h ec o s t w a s 0. 27 c e n t s p e r l i n k a g e , o r no t m u c h m o r e t h a n t h ec o s t of t h e p a p e r p u n c h c a r d i t s e l f .

F u r t h e r d a t a a r e b e i n g g a t h e r e d on t h e e f f i c i e n c y oi t h el i n k a g e p r o c e d u r e s " s e d . R o u t i n e l y , B. ( ' . b i r t h r e s i s t r a ! iojin u m b e r s h a v e b e e n s e a r c h e d m a n u a l l y fo r c e r t a i n s e l e c t e di l l - h e a l t h r e c o r d s ( for a l l 1 9 5 2 - 7 2 h a n d i c a p r e c o r d s t o ri n d i v i d u a l s b o r n f r o m 1952 o n w a r d ; fo r a l l l r>()^-7Z «. onu-en it..;a n o m a l y s u r v e i l l a n c e r e c o r d s r e l a t i n g ' o c h i l d r e n b o r n I r u n19b4 o n w a r d ; f o r t h e 1 1 4 6 - 5 2 d e a t h r e c o r d s of . h i l H r e r . ],<,<••• : ...t o 1946 , a n d f o r 1957-71) d e a t h r e c o r d s l o r i n d i v i d u a l s •:;, <•• ;.

1 he ste;>s required to compare the birth information on recordslinked tranu.il ly, versus that found by computer linkages, havenow been outlined, and the computer programs required tocarry oui these steps are currently being written.

I.INKINC. ILL-HEALTH RECORDS INTO INDIVIDUAL. HEALTHHISTORIES - !L R. Newcombe and M. E. Smith

Somewhat less than twenty per cent of the individualsrepresented in the ill health files were born outside BritishColumbia or outside the period 1946-70, so that no linkagewith their birth registrations could be carried out. A computerprogram has therefore been written to create individual healthhistories for these persons usin^ just the ill-health records.The earliest ill health event serves as the nucleus to whichrecords of subsequent events are to be linked. However, if therecord of the earliest event lacks a forename, and a subsequentrecord exists containing forename information, then the latteris selected to serve as the "head-of-history" record. Severaltests were made to evaluate refinements in the rules used forlinkage, such as comparing additional identifying informationcommon to death and hospital records, or permitting a deathrecord to serve as head-of-history record where earlier recordslack forename. The production job of linking about 60, 000 recordsinto ill health histories took under one minute of the computer'scentral processor time. The frequency of linkage errors has beenestimated to be 0. 7 per cent.

An "extended" ill-health record format has been designed,to contain information obtained from the name and the statisticalpunch card entries for the events of ill-health, and for the birthsof individuals. Programs have been prepared, and tested, forcreating handicap, death hospitalization, and congenital anomalysurveillance extended format records. Preparation of all thedeath extended format records has now been completed.

'>. V ASCERTAINMENT OF CONGENITAL MALFORMATIONS THROUGHHOSPITAL RECORDS - M. E. Smith and H. B. Newcombe

A paper describing the design and performance of acomputer system for linking a sample of 1961-63 British Columbia

- 83 -

hospital admiss ion-separa t ion r eco rds into cumulative lnah!>his tor ies has been corppleted. The computer matched about99% of all pa i r s of potentially linkable records at a raw- of3000 incorning records per minute.

4 .8 AECL-UBC COLLABORATIVE RECORD LINKAGE PRO !K( 1

The Population Research Branch of CRNL and theDepartment of Medical Genetics of the University of BritishColumbia a r e current ly collaborating on a project that involveslinking vital and il l-health r eco rds into individual and familyhis tor ies . A data base of about 11 million magnetic taperecords relating to ma r r i age s , b i r ths , deaths, hospital i/at ionand handicaps were copied at AECL and t rans fe r red to !; !'•('.Also, as part of this program, complete listings have !><<•<•,prepared of the 1946-70 merged death name and statist i..- <..ir<:

image files, for all persons born in B. C". from 1946-70,together with l ist ings of all 1952-72 handicap files, and <>! tIn-19^4-72 congenital anomaly survei l lance files, in singlesoundex bir th date sequence.

Work is continuing on the simple dominant d i seases whu liwould be expected to increase promptly (i. e. over just a fewgenerations) and in direct proport ions to a radiat ion - indu< .••!irtcrca.sc in the mutation rate . Previous es t ima tes of therisk to human health from dominant d isease , based on daiacollected in Northern Ireland, a r e much higher than thoseobtained by Dr. B. K. Trimble and J. Doughty usin^ theBri t ish Columbia Registry of Handicapped Children and Adultsand the congenital anomaly files. There *as a higher totalfrequency, however, in the B. C. data for all heredi tary .m'lcongenital d i sease ( i .e . 9 per 100 liveborn versus 6 per 100in Northern Ireland). These r e su l t s have generated interestbecause of their implications for est imating the a.-petit risi sfrom exposure to ionizing radiation and to chemii ai muta^ms.A detailed breakdown of the var ious etiology uroups is . uricr ti ,being ca r r i ed out, and a comparison is beiny made of sj,e< ill.d isease frequencies as reported in Northern Ireland ar'i ;nBrit ish Columbia.

84 -

i<C COLLABORATION - - OTHER WORK STARTED

A proposal to study the relationship between maternalirradiation history and the risk of giving birth to a childwith Down's syndrome was drawn up at CRNLby Dr. B. K.Trimble. Work on this Canadian study has now been initiatedin British Columbia under Dr. Trimble, with funding fromthe Atomic PInergy Control Board. Approximately 950 casesof Down's syndrome have been ascertained from the routinevital and health records, and the diagnostic information hasbeen linked to the appropriate birth index and statisticsrecords. Arrangements have been completed with theDiagnostic Radiology and Medical Records Departments of theVancouver General Hospital to have access to their records,and a trial run based on sample listings has been carried outto obtain previous radiological histories.

COLLABORATION WITH OTHER OUTSIDE AGENCIES

Permission was obtained from the Division of VitalStatistics in British Columbia to extract control data for aCanadian amniocentesis study being carried out byDr. Nancy Simpson and Miss Janet Miller of Queen's University.This study aims to determine whether the amniocentesisprocedure has any effect on the gestation period or the birthweight of the child, or on ths risk of perinatal mortality.Tabulations giving average gestation periods and birth weights,broken down simultaneously by age of mother, birth order ofthe child, number of previous stillbirths, and sex of the child,have now been prepared from tne 1970 British ColumbiaHvebirth, stillbirth, and death files available at AECL, to serveas controls for the file of births tollowing amniocentesis.

A complete listing of the 1970 British Columbia livebirthand stillbirth file was prepared for the Division of VitalStatistics in British Columbia, to enable them to test a newformat of index to the vital records for use in routing registryoffiee searching.

The format and sequence of this listing was discussed withMr. W. Durrowes from British Columbia during his visit to

- 8S -

CRNL. Th i s e x p e r i m e n t a l b i r t h l is t ing is .sorted bya l p h a b e t i c s u r n a m e , f o r e n a m e s , b i r t h d a t e , and u m l n i lcode digi t . The f o r m a t oi th i s e x ^ e r imunia i index in. ii:o,v.miore identifying par t icu lars than are generally used in thebirth, death and mar r i ages indexes. It in believed theadditional information will a s s i s t s ea rche r s in identifying irontlie index the co r rec t bir th record when some of the identity in-,'par t icu lars a re incomplete or variant .

Similar computer listings were also p repared , furexperimental use in Brit ish Columbia, of all 1046-70 |',, ( .death r e c o r d s , for children born in that province during1946-70, sorted by birth year , surname, forename, bii-tl;date, control code, and control code digit.

PUBLICATIONS AND INVITED SPEAKERS

4. 11 PUBLICATIONS*

N e w c o m b e , H. B . - H e a l t h r e c o r d l i n k a g e s : u s e s in h e a l t h

c a r e r e s e a r c h . P p . 1 8 9 - 1 9 4 in H e a l t h C a r e R e ^ - a r t h: AS y m p o s i u m , D. E . L a r s e n a n d E, J . L o v e ( E d s . ), l'.i< u i t yof M e d i c i n e , T h e U n i v e r s i t y of C a l g a r y , 1 9 7 4 .A E C L - 5 0 4 8 .

N e w c o m b e , H, B . - C o m m e n t s o n " T h e U s e of P a t i e n t R n c r d *

a n d S u r v e y D a t a t o D e v e l o p M e a s u r e s ol H e a l t h S i a ' u ;

P p . 7 2 - 7 4 in H e a l t h C a r e R e s e a r c h ; A S y m p o s u m ,

D. E . L a r s e n a n d E. J . L o v e / Z d a . ), 1 -acu i ty of M e d i , n ^ ,

T h e U n i v e r s i t y of C a l g a r y , 1974.

N e w c o m b e , HL B. a n d B. K. T r i m b l e - C r i t e r i a l o r a u t o n - * 1 i

r e c o r d l i n k a g e - - P a r t I. I d e n t i f y i n g t h e p e o p l e .

J o u r . C l i n i c a l C o m p u t i n g 4_, ZOS-^14 , ! ' )7 : i .

A E C L - 4 S 9 0 .

T r i m b l e , B . K. a n d H. B. N e w c o m b e - C r i t e r i a * < > r a u t . . v . i ' : .

r e c o r d l i n k a g e - - P a r t II. A p r o d u c t of l i n k a g e .

J o u r . C l i n i c a l C o m p u t i n g 4 , ll~> .'..'-', I >7 .

A E C L - 4 K 4 G

N e w c o m b e , 1L H. and J . \". M i i i r . - U i u i>i--.- r i - . p ' . - r ^ .

r e l a t i o n s h i p s t'<jr i he \, rn-.'un ' i> >n a r<od-, • •• 1 T •. i-1 • i'

ir. t r o u t by e x p o s s i r e u' s-pi-rrv. >• ; • •>- e . . - . -^ t>. r . i ' i i v •• '

R a d i a t i o n i l < - s e a r . h > 1, • 1 - • . . . ' ' . A \< i. '•

• A K C L - \ x x . \ r e p o r t by Atcrv.i '- I \r.c r c: • •' • . i v . ' d^ '. ••< .'••'•

- 86 -

Smith, M. E. and H. B. Newcombe - Methods for computerlinkage of hospital admission-separation records intocumulative health histories. Methods of Information inMedicine l±, 118-125, 1975.AECL-5165

Newcombe, H. B. - Cancer Following Multiple Fluoroscopies.AECL-5243, Chalk River, August, 1975. ( 33 pp. )

Newcombe, H. B. - Congenital malformations of the centralnervous system. MRC Perinatal Diagnosis Newsletter4, 2-4, 1975.

Newcombe, H. B. - A national obstetric information system.Journal of Clinical Computing _i. 440-441, 1975.

4. 12 VERBAL PRESENTATIONS

4. 12. 1 Lecture's er Seminars

Newcombe, H. B. - Genetic Implications of Radiation Exposure.Presented to the Health Physics Staff of the NewBrunswick Electric Power Commission, Frederiction,New Brunswick, 5 November, 1975.

Newcombe, H. B. - Priorit ies in Assessing Impact of HumanPopulations of an Increase in Mutation Rate. AnIntroductory Statement presented at a Conference enHuman Population Monitoring, Freiburg, Germany,25-31 May, 1975.

4. 1 3 INVITED SPEAKERS

Dr. J. H. Schroder, Institut fur Biologie, Gesellscha'tfur Strahlen-Und Umweltforschung MBH, Munich -"Environmental Mutagenesis and Genetic Studieswith Fish", 25 August, 1975.

- 87 -

BIOLOGY BRANCH

by

W.F. Baldwin

5.1 STAFF

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

5.2 Organization of Polypyrimidines in the Mouse Genome

5.3 Study of the Base Sequence of Polypyrimidines

5.4 Radiation-induced Tumors in Rats

5.5 Radiosensitivity of Micrococcus radiodurans toIodine-125

5.6 Effects of Ultraviolet Radiation on the DNA-MembraneComplex from E. coli and M. radiodurans

5.7 Effects of X-Radiation on BUDR-Substituted and onWild-Type Bacteriophage

5.8 Ionizing Radiation Damage to Micrococcus radioduransCell Walls

5.9 Repair of DNA Strand Breaks in Micrococcus radiodurans

5.10 Defective Excision Repair of YRay-Damaged DNA inHuman (Ataxia Telangiectasia) Fibroblasts

5.11 Sensitivity to ?T-ir radiation of Temperature-SensitiveMutants of Ustilago maydis in DNA Replication

GENETICS, DEVELOPMENT ANDPOPULATION STUDIES

5.12 Radiation Sensitivity of Bacteriophage T4 - Mappingthe Site of the X Gene

5.13 Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis of IntactBacteriophage T4 Particles (A) Isolation of anElectrophoretic Mutant Ephl

5.14 (B) Examination of Head Protein Mutants of T4 forAltered Electrophoretic Mobility

- 88 -

").l) Mutants of Bacteriophage T4 Unable to Grow on

Streptomycin Resistant Strains of Escherichia coli

5.1b Radiation Genetics in Insects - Dahlbominus

5.17 Studies on Biting Flies

b.lB PUBLICATIONS


5.19.1 Presented Papers5.19.2 Lectures or Seminars5.19.3 Local Talks

5.20 INVITED SPEAKERS

- 89 -

5.1 STAFF

Branch Head - W.F. Baldwin


RNA MoleculesH.C. Birnboim Assistant J.M. Ostrom

Radiation BiochemistryD.K. Myers Assistant L.D. Johnson

Repair of DNA in BacteriaR.E.J. Mitchel Assistant K.M. Baird

Enzymatic Repair o£ Radiation DamageN.E. Gentner Assistant M.M. Werner

DNA Repair in Cultivated Human CellsM.C. Paterson Assistant B.P. Smith

DNA Replication and Repair in FungiP. Unrau Assistant C.E. Grant

GENETICS, DEVELOPMENT ANDPOPULATION STUDIES"

Bacteriophage T4 Genetics -J.D. Childs Assistant L.A. Chant

Radiation Repair in InsectsW.F. Baldwin Assistants G.D. Chant

P.A. KnightA.G. Kniyht

Secretarial ..C. Walters"3 .B.A. McCarthy*

Laboratory AttendantsM.A. Jones, B. Ruhnke and R.M. Bechamp

^Retired December 29, 1975.3Resigned November 28, 1975.^Replacing B.L. Phillips, who is on Maternity Leave.Replacement for C. Walters.

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5.2 ORGANIZATION OF POLYPYRIMIDINES IN THE MOUSE GENOME -11.C. Iiirnboim and J.M. Ostrom

The DNA of higher organisms contains sequenceswhich code for proteins but also a large number ofsequences which do not. Harmful changes in DNA,such as those induced by radiation or chemicalagents, are generally thought of in terms of damageto coding sequences, since these can lead to defectiveproteins with deleterious effects on a cell orwhole organism. Such mutations are, for example,the basis of abnormal hemoglobins and many of theinborn errors of metabolism. Damage to non-codingDNA sequences also occurs, but the consequencesof such damage is less clear because the functionof non-coding DNA is not known. It is presumedthat some or all of these sequences are involvedin "regulation", that is, in controlling the kindsand amounts of proteins which are made by codingsequences. Damage to regulatory sequences arelikely to have deleterious effects also, but theabnormality has been much more difficult to pinpoint.These considerations underlie our interest in non-coding DNA of higher organisms. We require greaterinsight into the function of non-coding DNA beforewe can hope to assess the possible effects of damageto it.

One component of non-coding DNA is thepolypyrimidines. These are unusual sequences whichare composed of only two of the four possiblenucleotides. (More details are given in section 5.3.)In the mouse genome, they comprise about 0.5% of theDNA, while the non-coding (repeated) sequencesrepresent about 40% of the total DNA. We havedevoted considerable attention to these sequencesbecause the ease with which they can be separatedfrom the remainder of the DNA has provided us witha means of dissecting a complex genome into simpler,more readily manageable, parts. In recent years wehave been able to show that polypyrimidines occurin the DNA of many different organisms, includingman. We next showed that polypyrimidines were asub-component of non-coding (repeated) DNA and notof coding (unique) DNA. This year we have attemptedto gain some understanding of their function bystudying their arrangement in the mouse genome.(Mouse cells rather than human cells are used because

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the polypyrimidine concentration is about two-foldhigher in the former.) Two extreme possibledistributions may be visualized. The first is aclustered arrangement, in which polypyrimidinesare all located at one, or relatively few sitesin the DNA. Another possibility could be thatthey are widely dispersed at sites which aremaximally separated from one another. In thiscase, it is possible to estimate what their spacingshould be. The genome size of most mammalian cellsis taken to be 6 x 109 bases* (or 3 x 109 base pairssince DNA is double-stranded) . Our current estimateof thn number of polypyrimidines in the mouse genomeis 5 x 1()5. if evenly spaced in single-stranded DNAthey would be 6 x 109/5 x 10^ = 12000 nucleotidesapart. The experimental values, as determined byan independent approach outlined below, gives avalue of 4000-6000 nucleotides apart. This agreement-is quite good, considering the very differentapproaches used for the estimates, and it providessupport for our model of the organization of thegenome in which polypyrimidines are inte>rspersedbetween coding sequences, perhaps acting as somesort of regulatory element which governs thesynthesis or processing of messenger RNA. Furtherwork with messenger RNA may clarify this function.

The experimental approach which we developedto study the spacing of polypyrimidines utilizedour earlier observation that a synthetic polymer,poly r(A,G), will complex with polypyrimidines;DNA fragments containing a polypyrimidine can beseparated from those which do not because thepoly r(A,G):DNA complex will bind to hydroxyapatxtewhereas single-stranded, non-complexed DiTA will not.A further refinement of the technique was the useof a glyoxal, a reagent which reacts with guanineresidues, to prevent the formation of DNA:DNAcomplexes. From the relationship between the size

*The DNA content of a haploid cell, usually a spermcell, is about 3 pg. For consideration of genomeorganization and its relationship to messenger RNAsize, it xs convenient to express length as multiple;of the monomeric unit called bases (or nucleotides).The average? monomer is taken to have a molecularweight of 331.

of the DNA fragments and the percentage of the DNAwhich complexes With poly r(A,G), we were able toestimate the spacing of the sites in the DNA atwhich poly r(A,G) attaches.

5.3 STUDY OF THE BASE SEQUENCE OF POLYPYRIMI DINES -H.C. Birnboim and J.M. Ostrom

Polypyrimidines are regions in DNA whichcontain only cytosine and thymine but no adenine orguanine. We first noted them when human DNA washydrolyzed with acid under conditions which breakthe DNA at purine sites but not pyrimidine (Burtonprocedures). Long pyrimidine tracts were recovered,the longest of which we have called "polypyrimidines".Polypyrimidines were also found in mouse and otherDNAs, but our principal studies concentrated uponmouse polypyrimidines since they were present inlargest concentration. DNA both from cultured mouseL-cells and from mouse organs (liver, kidney, spleen)has been studied. Polypyrimidines constitute about0.5% of the total DNA; their base composition is50% cytosine, 50% thymine with no detectable purines.The chain length of polypyrimidines has now beenaccurately estimated using denaturing polyacrylamidegels and marker polynucleotides ( P-labelled T^Q, T20>T 3 Q , etc.) obtained from J.H. van de Sande (Univ. ofCalgary). The size distribution appears to becontinuous and heterogeneous; it ranges from about30 to 200 nucleotides in length with a number averagemodal value of about 50. Two separate approacheshave been used to obtain information about the basesequence of polypyrimidines. In the first, complemen-tary (polypurine) RNA was synthesized using E. coliRNA polymerase to transcribe isolated mouse polypyrimi-dines. The RNA thus made was digested with enzymesto produce fragments whose sequences were G, AG, AAG,AAAG, AAAA, A, GA, GGA, GGGA, and GGGGA. The ratioof the different oligonucleotide fragments indicatesmoderately simple base sequence, but the entiresequence could not be deduced. A second approachwas to prepare labelled polypyrimidines using QT-32P) ATPand polynucleotide kinase. Using this method, 32p isintroduced into unlabelled polypyrimidines at their5'-end only. These experiments are not yet complete,but moderately simple sequence of bases is alsoindicated by the results to date.

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5.4 RADIATION-INDUCED TUMORS IN RATS - D.K. Myers andL.D. Johnson

Previous experiments were concerned with theeffects of relatively high doses of X-rad.vation andof a chemical carcinogen given separately andtogether in 3 different strains of rats. Thisexperiment is now being extended to include afourth strain of rat which is reported to developleukemia spontaneously; according to the literature,the incidence of leukemia is reduced after X-irradiationin this particular strain.

A second series of experiments is designed todetermine dose-effect curves for the induction otmammary tumors by X-radiation and urethane infemale Sprague-Dawley rats. The first mammary tumorbecame evident as a small palpable nodule 36 daysafter whole body exposure to 200 R and 18 days afterthe last of four injections of urethane. Since thattime, numerous other tumors have appeared.

In a further preliminary experiment, rats wereinjected with chloroquine phosphate to inhibitrepair of radiation damage during irradiation andfor 1 or 2 hours after irradiation. The purpose ofthis experiment was to see if this treatment wouldincrease the number of mammary tumors induced byirradiation.

These experiments are continuing. No finalresults are expected until 1976.

5.5 RADIOSENSITIVITY OF MICROCOCCUS RADIODURANS TOIODINE-125 - D.K. Myers and L.D. Johnson

This experiment was designed to see whetherM. radiodurans would be able to repair the type ofdouble strand break that is produced in DNA by thedisintegration of iodine-125 incorporated into theDNA. The cells were labelled with 3H or 1 2 5I attachedto iododeoxyuridine in the DNA, stored in liquidnitrogen and tested for viability and DNA strandbreaks after various times. Both wild-type cellsand two mutants, uv-17 and rec-30, which are approxi-mately 3 times and 40 times more sensitive toEradiation, have been tested. 125I disintegrationsproduce double strand breaks in the DNA with a highdegree of efficiency; all 3 strains of Micrococeus

seem to repair these breaks rapidly and efficiently.The repair process is unusual in that the lowmolecular weight DNA seems to move directly intoa very large aggregate (probably a circular molecule)of the size expected for an intact genome, withoutany evidence for DNA of intermediate sizes. If oneassumes that 1 double strand break per cell is alethal event (Krisch et al, Radiation Res. 62^ p. 572,1975) , then one can calculate how many double strandbreaks these cells are capable of repairing. Ourpresent estimates are that the cells of rec-30, uv-17and wild-type strains respectively would die onlywhen they had left unrepaired one break out of aninitial 45, 600 or 1800 double strand breaks persingle cell. The results are similar whether using125i decay or -radiation to produce strand breaks.

We are currently attempting to correlatesurvival under a variety of conditions with thenumber of double strand breaks produced by 1-125 and^-radiation under the same conditions.

5.6 EFFECTS OF ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION ON THE DNA-MEMBRANECOMPLEX FROM E. COLI AND M. RADIODURANS - D.K. Myersand L.D. Johnson

The experiments with E. coli are now completedand the results show that u.v. radiation in dosesup to 1,000 J/m2, far in excess of the lethalrange, have very little direct effect upon theDNA-membrane complex. Any dissociation of DNA fromthis complex must therefore be due to double strandbreaks formed during the enzymic excision ofphotoproducts from the DNA.

Subsequently we explored the effects of u.v.radiation on the same system in M. radiodurans.Again there was no direct effect on the DNA-membraneassociation. When the irradiated cells were incubatedat 30°C in phosphate buffer, large numbers of doublestrand breaks appeared due to enzymic incision processes,This incision was prevented by EDTA, a chelatingagent which removes divalent cations from the cells.Correlations with the effects of y-radiation on theDNA are in progress.

5.7 EFFECTS OF X-RADIATION ON BUDR-SUBSTITUTED AND ONWILD-TYPE BACTERIOPHAGE - D.K. Myers and J. Childs

It would be expected that Br atoms in the DNA

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would increase the target size of the DNA for 15 kvX-rays selectively. This theory has been tested withbacteriophage T4 in which l-he thymidine residues,approximately 33% of the total nucleotide residuesin the DNA, were completely replaced by bromodeoxyuri-dine (BUDR). Assuming 40% water in the wet phage, thetarget size of the bromine atoms in the DNA shouldbe 2 times the sum of the target sizes for all theother atoms in the bacteriophage. One would there fore-expect some unusual effects for BUDR phage exposedto 15 kV X-rays as compared with V-radiation or ascompared with normal phage exposed to 15 kV X-raysor JT-radiation. Nj unusual effects have beenobserved as yet, either with respect to survivalor to strand breaks in the DNA. Whatever the correcttheoretical explanation of this result nuiy be, theseexperiments suggest that the use of 15 kv X-rays withBUDR in the DNA does not seem a promising method toselectively increase the radiosensitivity of othertypes of cells, e.g. those of superficial tumors.

5.8 IONIZING RADIATION DAMAGE TO MICROCOCCUS RADIODURANSCELL WALLS - R.E.J. Mitchel and K.M. Baird"

We have shown that the cell wall of the bacteriumMicrococcus radiodurans accumulates damage duringsublet^al doses of ionizing radiation. This damageoccurs primarily in the middle, lipid-rich wall layer,and results in certain components associated withthis layer being released into the surrounding medium.Among the materials released are a variety of proteins,including an exonuclease. The damage is selectivesince this layer contains a number of other proteinswhich appear unaffected. A polysaccharide containingglucose and N-acylated glucosamine is also associatedwith this wall layer and is released by sublethalradiation doses. Components of the main polysaccharideof the cell wall, the structural murein layer, arenot released. The release of both protein andpolysaccharide is initiated by hydroxyl radicalsgenerated from the surrounding medium by y-radiolysisof water. Temperature studies suggest that the releasedoes not include an enzyme mediated step. The releasemechanism may involve a free radical disruption ofhydrophobic sites since both the exonuclease and thepolysaccharide can 'ije released by extraction ofwhole cells with buffer saturated in n-butanol. Thesolvent extraction however releases many othercomponents not released by radiation.

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Oxygen has been found to protect the cell wallagainst this radiation induced loss of proteins andpolysaccharides. The protection is not due to scavengingof primary aqueous radicals, nor is it absolute. Inthe presence of O2, very high doses of radiation (wellinto the lethal range) will release an amount ofpolysaccharide comparable to the highest levelreleased under anoxia. Experiments have beendirected toward determining the form of oxygenresponsible for this protection. Since oxygen isbubbled into the aqueous sample in the presence ofa high gamma field, considerable quantities of ozoneare generated. However, pretreatment of cells with O3gave no protection when they were subsequently irradi-ated in N2 nor any enhanced protection when irradiatedin O2. Reaction of 03 with a secondary radical hasnot yet been ruled out. Another form of oxygen whichcould be active is the superoxide anion 02~, formedby the reaction of O2 with an aqueous electron.However, selectively scavenging eaq" does notinfluence oxygen protection.

A pH study of the release mechanism showshighest release at alkaline values, decreasing to aminimum at about pH 5. The curves under 0- and N2are parallel suggesting that the protection by oxygenis pH independent. It is possible that oxygenprotection is the result of a direct reaction of O2with a secondary radical. The resulting perioxidemay interrupt a free radical initiated chain reaction.

5.9 REPAIR OF DNA STRAND BREAKS IN MICROCOCCUS RADIODURANSN.E. Gentner and M.M. Werner

Study of DNA strand break repair in wild-typeand various radiation sensitive mutants of Micrococcusradiodurans has yielded information on repairmechanisms in this extremely radiation-resistantbacterium and on the relative contribution of suchmechanisms to repair of UV- and ionizing radiation-induced damage. The study of strand breaks afterUV- and If-irradration of protoplasts has affordednew information on the enzymatic machinery thataccomplishes repair.

Two major repair mechanisms have beencharacterized: (1) a DNA polymerase dependentrepair process, absent in the radiation-sensitivemutant UV-17, which functions rapidly (activity

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seen within 15-30 min); and (2) a recombinationalrepair process, absent in rec30, sensitive toinhibition by caffeine and acriflavine, and whichrequires post-irradiation protein synthesis forexpression.

1) Formation and repair of strand breaks inUV-irradiated cells

A considerable number of DNA strand breakswere evident in protoplasts prepared after uv-irradiation of M. radiodurans cells. The numberof breaks progressively decreased on incubation ofcells in growth medium. Repair was observed todisplay both a rapid and a slow component, as forrepair of single strand breaks after ionizing radiationexposure; about 2/3 were repaired quickly, and theremaining 1/3 took 3-4 h for repair. The rapidrepair appears to be the DNA polymerase dependentpathway, since it is lacking in UV-17. The slowercomponent appears to be recombinational repair:it is prevented by chloramphenicol, and is inhibitedby caffeine and acriflavine.

In the mutant UV-17, the break yield approachesone per pyrimidine dimer induced in the DNA.

2) UV-irradiation of M. radiodurans protoplasts

The breaks observed above in protoplastsprepared from UV-irradiated cells may not existin vivo (at least not to the extent seer above),ETut may rather be formed at unrepaired sites, aftersampling, during the subsequent incubation inlysozyme-buffer-EDTA reqviired to form protoplasts forlysis and analysis on alkaline sucrose gradients.

If protoplasts were made first, and thenUV-irradiated and analyzed, few or no strand breakswere evident. If, however, the UV-irradiatedprotoplasts were incubated in buffer, strand breaksappeared. We therefore now appear to have an assayfor the UV-endonuclease incision activity involvedin UV repair; this activity is being characterized.

The whole cell studies presumably monitor thenumber of unrepaired sites at which UV-inducedlesions exist; as repair proceeds, fewer sitesremain at which enzymatic incisions can be madeduring the incubation for protoplast preparation.

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3) y-irradiation of _£$.. radiodurans protoplasts

The protoplast technique, by enabling examina-tion of more immediate post-irradiation conditions,has apparently offered an opportunity to differentiatebetween DNA strand breaks directly induced by ionizingradiation exposure and those produced by enzymaticincision at sites of other Y-ray lesions in theDNA. On incubation of ^-irradiated protoplasts,additional breaks appear; these may represent<f-ray lesions. It is not yet known whether or notthis ".T-endonucleasell-type activity is distinctfrom the UV-endonuclease activity.

4) Strand break repair in heat-treated cells

M. radiodurans cells exposed to sublethal heattreatment are sensitized to inactivation by UV orionizing radiation. The level of a DNA polymeraseknown to be involved in repair is decreased by 80%in extracts from heat-treated (HT) cells. Onincubation of HT-cells in growth medium, resistanceto subsequent UV- or 2T-exposure is rapidly (~-l h)regained, with concomitant increase in DNA polymeraseto normal levels; both events are prevented by theprotein synthesis inhibitor chloramphenicol. Sincethe DNA polymerase-deficient mutant UV-17 alsoshows increased radiation sensitivity after HT,however, the other (recombination) repair pathwaymay also be affected. Current studies deal withthe kinetics of repair of strand breaks and theeffect of chloramphenicol on such repair, and withthe sensitivity of HT-cells to repair inhibitionby caffeine and acriflavine, in order to determinewhich repair pathways are affected, and to whatdegree.

HT-cells, after UV-irradiation, showed fewerbreaks than normal. On incubation, the number ofbreaks in HT-cells increased. This suggests thatUV-endonuclease is also inactivated by the heat-treatment, and that, in growth medium, repair doesnot proceed but the number of breaks increasesbecause of the increased time available for incisionby a limited number of UV-endonuclease molecules.

5) Effect of repair inhibitors

The repair inhibitors caffeine and acrif lavinecaused decreased survival after ^- irradiat ion in

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M. radiodurans wild-type and UV-17, but not inrec30, a,o they appear to inhibit the re combinationalrepair pathway, and not the DNA polymerasedependent pathway.

6) Liquid holding recovery (LHR)

LHR has been observed after both UV- andiC-irradiation in M. radiodurans strain rec30;LHR presumably occurs, therefore, via the DNApolymerase-dependent repair pathway, but is normallymasked by the spontaneous cell death or negativeliquid holding effect (NLHE) that occurs in rec+ cellsmaintained in non-nutritive medium. The NLHE canbe decreased, and LHR increased, by LH in buffersof pH 9 instead of the pH 7.5 normally employed inradiation studies with M. radiodurans.

5.10 DEFECTIVE EXCISION REPAIR OF Y RAY-DAMAGED DNA INHUMAN (ATAXIA TELANGIECTASIA) FIBROBLASTS - M.C. I'jtcrsonand B.P. Smith

Humans afflicted with ataxia telangiectasia (AT),a rare neuravascular genetic disorder eventuating inmalignant tumors, respond adversely to conventionalradiotherapy. This radiosensitivity is also observedat the cellular level, suggesting a defective DNArepair process as a possible root cause. We have thusassessed the ability of several AT diploid fibroblaststrains to execute two known repair processes: (i)rejoining of single-strand breaks and (ii) excision-type repair of damaged heterocyclic bases (detectedas ^"-induced sites sensitive to endonuclease activitypresent in a crude Micrc coccus luteus extract).After delivering Co^" t rays felOO kr) under anoxiato monolayer cultures, the fate of the radioproductswas followed by two complementary methods, in vitroenzymatic assay and equilibrium density-gradTentcentrifugation. The time course of strand rejoiningand site disappearance displayed an exponential decline.All three AT strains studied restituted strand breakswith kinetics indistinguishable from normal controlstrains (eg., all scissions induced by 50 kr wererejoined within 90 min); however, sites were removedat a markedly sluggish rate (e.g., in control strains,"•80% of the sites disappeared within 2 h whereas evenafter 6 h, ~50% remained in the AT3BI strain). Inaccord with these findings, the level of dose-dependentrepair replication attained after 2 h was approximately

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i.nf that :ound in normal strains. Moreover, themutant lines appeared otherwise normal, includingtheir response to UV damage. It thus seems thatthe AT strains are specifically deficient inexcision repair of Jf-induced base damage, probablydue to the presence of a defective V endonucleasepresumed to initiate the multistep process.

Our results have numerous ramifications in thefields of medical radiology and molecular radiobiology,including (i) providing insight into the underlyingbasis of AT and raising hope for eventual remedialtreatment of this fatal disease; (ii) possiblyimplicating defective BNA repair in the etiology ofmalignant transformation; (iii) vividly demonstratingthe importance of DNA repair processes in enablingman to overcome low levels of ionizing radiationpresent in his natural habitats; and (iv) uncoveringa ready supply of invaluable y-sensitive mutantstrains defective in excision repair of >T radio-products, thus permitting characterization of thefunctional process operative in fibroblasts derivedfrom normal individuals.

5.11 SENSITIVITY TO ^-IRRADIATION OF TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE MUTANTS OP USTILAGO MAYDIS IN DNAREPLICATION - P. Unrau and C.E. Grant

The response to aerobic ^"-irradiation of aseries of temperature sensitive mutants of Ustilagomaydis, blocked in DNA replication at 32°C, has beenstudied. Strains are maintained at 22°C wherereplication is nearly normal; a temperature sensitiveblock may be the result of a mutational lesionmaking an enzyme less heat stable. Two classy ofmutants exist, those blocked generally in nuclear andmitochondrial DNA synthesis, and those blocked onlyin nuclear replication. Mutants of the first sort(ts-220, ts-432, ts-346 and ts-207) tend to show thesame response to T rays as wTld-type cells, thoughstrain ts_-220 is more resistant. Mutants blockedin nuclear DNA synthesis tend to be more sensitive.A mutant, tsd 1-1, which is UV sensitive at 32°C isnormal with respect to ^-sensitivity. Mutant pol 1-1tends to become sensitive to #"-rays (and has athermolabile DNA polymerase) . Mutant ts_-20 isinteresting in that it is UV and 7T-ray sensitiveat 22°C and becomes more so at 32°C. The effectsof ts-20 on recombination repair will be studied;

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if ts_-20 strains also show abnormal recombinationbehaviour then this mutant is involved in manysteps ot DNA metabolism. The most likely step commonto repair, recombination, and replication is thatperformed by the DNA ligase which rejoins newlysynthesized and extant strands of DNA.

General

A lab has been outfitted suitable for microbialgenetics with Ustilago. It is hoped to obtainequipment for the parallel biochemical studiesneeded to characterize the temperature sensitivemutants.

A hypothesis about the control of DNA condensationis being tested in collaboration with L.S. Lerman,Department of Molecular Biology, Vanderbilt University,Nashville, Tennessee.

GENETICS, DEVELOPMENT ANDPOPULATION STUDIES

5.12 RADIATION SENSITIVITY OF BACTERIOPHAGE T4 - MAPPINGTHE SITE OF THE X GENE - J.D. Childs and L.A. Chant

The radiation sensitive X rcutant of T4 wasisolated in 196 3 and although preliminary dataplaced the site of the X mutation between genes 42and 43 its precise position has never been determined.In order to map this mutation we have crossed it toa mutant carrying 6 amber mutations in the region otgenes 56-47 and have examined selected progeny fortheir sensitivity to radiation. By this method wehave shown that the X mutation maps between genes41 and 42.

5.13 POLYACRYLAMIDE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS OF INTACTBACTERIOPHAGE T4 PARTICLES (A) ISOLATION OF ANELECTROPHORETIC MUTANT EPH1 - J.D. Childs andH.C. Birnboim

We have previously shown that intact bacterio-phage T4 particles can migrate through polyacrylamidfgels and that a mutant (amB23) has a lower mobilitythan wild type. Revertants of amB2 3 to wild typeretained the lower electrophoretic mobility character-istic of amB23, indicating that a second mutation w.is

present which was responsible for this difference inmobility. To confirm this we crossed araB23 witha mutant which carries 8 amber mutations, and am+

recombinants were Selected. The 8 amber mutationsare distributed fairly uniformly around the map.Thus, am4" recombinants inherited amB23+ from themulti-amber parent but most of their geneticmaterial from the amB23 parent. Unless theelectrophoretic mutation is closely linked to amB23,most of the am+ recombinants should carry theelectrophoretic mutation. Pour am* recombinantswere tested and all migrated at the same rate asamB23. Therefore, amB23 carries a second mutationwhich affects its electrophoretic mobility. Thismutation we have designated ephl.

A paper describing these observations has beenpublished.

5.14 (B) EXAMINATION OF HEAT PROTEIN MUTANTS OF T4 FORALTERED ELECTROPHORETIC MOBILITY - J.D. Childs andC. Gibney*

Most of the structural protein of bacteriophageT4 is coded for by gene 23. Thus mutations in thisgene could affect the electrophoretic mobility ofT4 particles. We have tested 13 gene 2 3 ambermutants and have found that one of them, amC137migrates faster than wild type. This contrastswith ephl which migrates more slowly than wild type.in order to determine whether this amber mutationis responsible for the observed increase inelectrophoretic mobility we have carried out similartests to those described above for ephl. We havefound that once again a second mutation, designatedeph2, is responsible for the altered electrophoreticmobility.

Mapping of ephl has been initiated and preliminaryresults place it in the region of genes 23 and 24.

*Summer Student who worked in the Biology Branch withJ.D. Childs, starting April 28, 1975 and terminatingAugust 26, 1975.

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5.15 MUTANTS OF BACTERIOPHAGE T4 UNABLE TO CHOW ONSTREPTOMYCIN RESISTANT STRAINS OF ESCHERICHIA COLI -J.D. Childs, L.A. Chant and K. Koyanagi*

Amber mutants of bacteriophage T4 are unable togrow on strains of Escherichia coli lacking asuppressor (su~), but can grow on some strains whichcarry a suppressor (su+). The growth of certain ofthese amber mutants is restricted on su+ strains bycertai:. E. coli streptomycin resistance mutations.It is possible that T4 mutants other than ambermutants might also be restricted by streptomycinresistance mutations. We have therefore isolated16 mutants of T4 which can grow on a su* host (cR6 3)but are unable to grow on a CR63 derivative which isstreptomycin resistant (CR63 str^). These mutantshave been tested for their ability to grow on thesu" hosts, K12 and B and they fell into 3 classes:(1) 4 mutants which failed to grow on B and K12 andare therefore amber mutants. (2) 11 mutants whichgrew on K12 but failed to grow or grew poorly on B.(3) One mutant which grew on both K12 and B. The12 mutants in classes 2 and 3 are probably missensemutants.

It is known that some mutants originallyclassified as amber mutants because of their inabilityto grow on E. coli B, can grow on su~ K12 strains.These pseudo-amber mutants appear to be similar toclass (2) above but they have never been tested fortheir ability to grow on streptomycin resistantstrains. We have therefore screened 57 amber mutantsfor their ability to grow on a su" K12 strain and CR6 3strr. Six mutants we found to be pseudo-ambers andthese 6 mutants also failed to grow on CR6 3 strr. Thissuggests that the mechanism of restriction by CR6 3 str^is similar to that of B-specific restriction.

•Summer Student who worked in the Biology Branch withJ.D. Childs, starting May 8, 1975 and terminatinqAugust 26, 1975.

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:3.i*> RADIATION GENETICS IN INSECTS - DAHLBOMINUS -W.F. Baldwin, G.D. Chant, A.G. Knight and P.A. Knight

The influence of an environmental factor suchas high temperature on the effects of radiationexposure has important implications on the interpreta-tion of radiation hazards. In the wasp pahlbominus,exposure to 250 Rat a temperature of 42UC doubledthe frequencies of both eye colour mutations andbody malformations; the same heat exposure (42°Cfor 40 min.) did not affect the eye mutation ormalformation rates. Further work has demonstratedthat the enhancement by heat disappears if the hightemperature treatment is delayed for a period afterirradiation; a delay of six hours produced frequenciesequal to those given by radiation alone. Thus someprotective mechanism, such as an enzyme system, wasimmobilized by heat; if the heat was delayed,significant repair occurred and the values returnedto levels given by 250 R. Also, the results indicatedthat different mechanisms are involved in the repairof the eye colour mutations and the malformations;in the former, a signficant rise in frequency whenthe heat was given at 12 hours after irradiation didnot appear in the malformation results. This materialis now being prepared for publication. The projecton Dahlbominus will terminate at the end of thisquarter.

5.17 STUDIES ON BITING FLIES - W.F. Baldwin, A.G. Knight,P.A. Knight and G.D. Chant

The results of a study of black fly populationsin Deep River over the past five years are now readyfor publication. Data from traps operated each summerindicate that the application of larvicides tobreeding sites in streams surrounding the town hassubstantially reduced the numbers of this pest. Veryhigh numbers were found in 1972, the result of eitherinvasion associated with high westerly and northerlywinds at a critical period of time or with heavyprotective snow cover during the preceding winter.The lowest population levels occurred in the summerof 1975, when treatment included a stream near the townwhich had not been treated previously. The results showthat with proper stream management it is possible tosubstantially reduce the nuisance value of black fliesin a small northern town. This project will not becontinued, and will terminate with the publicationof these results.

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5.18 PUBLICATIONS*

W.F. BaldwinCombined effects of heat and radiation on thefrequency of eye colour mutations and malformationin Dahlbominus.Mutation Research, 27, 143-145 (1975).AECL-4962.

W.F. aaldwinPotential of the radiation-sterilization methodin the control of mosquitoes.Proceedings of the International Seminar onMosquito Control held at the Univcrsitc duQuebec at Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Canada,May 8, 9, 10, 1973, pp. 207-222, EditorsAubin, A., et al, Published 1975.

W.F. Baldwin, A.S. West and John GomeryDispersal pattern of black flies (Diptera:Simuliidae) tagged with P.The Canadian Entomologist, Vol. 107, Number 2,pp. 113-118, 1975.AECL-4900.

W.F. BaldwinDispersal and Biting Response of Black Flies(Abstract).Proceedings of the Acadian Entomological Society35th Annual Meeting, Joint Meeting with TheEntomological Society cf Canada, Halifax,I'Jova Scotia, Dalhousie University, 26-29 August,1974, p. 87.

ri.F. Baldwin and P.A. KnightMajor Differences in the Frequencies of RadiationInduced Malformations and Eye Colour Mutants inMature Oocytes of the Wasp Dahlbominus.Radiat. Res. 63, 320-325 (1975).AECL-5131.

W.F. Baldwin and G.D. ChantSeasonal Succession of the Mosquitoes (Diptera:Culicidae) of the Chalk River Area.Can. Ent. 107, 947-952 (1975).AECL-5139.

H.C. Birnboim and A. WasimExcision of Pyrimidine Dimers by Several UV-sensitive Mutants of S. pombe.Molec. gen. Genet. 13j[, 1-8 (1975) .AECL-5046.

*AECL-XXXX - Report by Atomic Energy of Canada Limit.<•

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ii.C. Birnboim, N.A. Straus, and R.R. SederoffCharacterization of Polypyrimidines in Drosophilaand L-Cell DMA.Biochemistry 1±, 1643-1647 (1975).AfiCL-5072.

H.C. Birnboim and N.A. StrausDNA from Eukaryotic Cells Contains UnusuallyLong Pyrimidine Sequences.Can. J. Biochem. 5_3, 640-643 (1975).AECL-5087.

H.C. Birnboim and R. SederoffPolypyrimidine Segments in Drosophila melanogasterDNA: I. Detection of a Cryptic SatelliteContaining Polypyrimidine/Polypurine DNA.Cell 5. 173-181 (1975).AECL-5134.

JR. Sederoff, L. Lowenstein and H.C. BirnboimPolypyrimidine Segments in Drosphila melanogasterDNA: II. Chromosome Location and NucleotideSequence.Cell 5, 183-194 (1975)'.AECL-5135.

Y. Cseko, L. Lowenstein, I. Grunberger, H.C. Birnboimand R. Sederoff

Evolution of the Polypyrimidine Sequence CTTCTin Drosophila DNA. (Abstract).Genetics £0, s23 (1975).

ri.C. BirnboimUltraviolet-induced Pyrimidine Dimers in LongPyrimidine Tracts from L-Cell DNA.Photochem. and Photobiology, 22 , pp. 71-73 (1975).

J.D. Childs and H.C. BirnboimPolyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis of IntactBacteriophage T4D Particles.Journal of Virology 16, 652-661 (1975).AECL-5187.

J.D. ChildsPolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of intactbacteriophage T4 particles.International Virology 3 (Abstracts), 141 (1975) .

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J.D. ChildsMutants of bacteriophage T4 unable to yrow onstreptomycin resistant strains of Escherichiacoli. (Abstract).Proceedings of the Society for General Microbiology,3, 39 (1975).

N.E. Gentner and R.E.J. MitchelIonizing radiation-induced release of a cellsurface nuclease from Micrococcus radiodurans.Radiat. Res. 61, 204-215 (197;>j.AECL-4937.

N.E. GentnerRepair of Strand Breaks in Micrococcus radiodurans.Fifth International Biophysics Congress Abstracts,p. 92 (1975).

N.E. Gentner and M.M. WernerRepair in Schizosaccharomyces pombe as measuredby recovery from caffeine enhancement of radiation-induced lethality. Molec. gen. Genet. 142, 171-183(1975).AECL-5282.

R.E.J. MitchelIonizing Radiation Induced Release of Polysaccharidesfrom Micrococcus radiodurans.Fifth International Biophysics Congress Abstracts,p. 88 (1975).

R.E.J. MitchelInvolvement of Hydroxyl Radicals in the Releaseby Ionizing Radiation of a Cell Surface Nucleasefrom Micrococcus radiodurans.Radiat. Res. 64, 321-330 (1975).AECL-5209.

R.E.J. MitchelOrigin of Cell Surface Proteins Released fromMicrococcus radiodurans by Ionizing Radiation.Radiat. Res. 64, 380-387 (1975).AECL-5208. ~~

D.K. Myers and L.D. JohnsonLoss of potassium from E. coli after X-irradiation.Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 26, 393^397 (1974).

- 108 -

D.K. MyersTuror Irauction by X-radiation and Urethane inRats (Abstract).Radiation Research 62, 597 (1975).

D.K. MyersFailure of anemic stress to evoke leukemia inX-irradiated rats.Intern. J. Radiat. Biol. 2JJ, 177-180 (1975).

D.K. Myers and L.E. Feinendegen ,55Double labeling with (•'H) thymidine and ( I )iododcoxyuridine as a method for determiningthe fate of injected DNA and cells iri vivo.J. Cell Biol. 6_7, 484-488 (1975).

A. Nasim and B.P. SmithGenetic Control of Radiation Sensitivity inSchizosaccharomyces pombe.Genetics 79_, 573-582 (1975) .

M.C. PatersonUse of a purified lesion-recognizing enzyme toassay DNA repair in cultured animal cells. InRadiation Research, Biomedical, Chemical andPhysical Perspectives (O.F. Nygaard, H.I. Adlerand W.K. Sinclair, eds.), pp. 718-726. PjademicPress, New York, 1975.

M.C, Paterson and P.H.M. LohmanUse of enzymatic assay to evaluate UV-inducedDNA repair in human and embryonic chick fibroblastsand multinucleate heterokaryons derived from both.In Molecular Mechanisms For Repair of DNA, Part B(P.C. Hanawalt and R.B. Setlow, eds.), pp. 735-745.Pelnum Press, New York, 1975.

A.R. Lehmann, S. Kirk-Bell, C.F. Arlett, M.C. Paterson,P.H.M. Lohman, E.A. de Weerd-Kastelein, and D. Bootsma

Xeroderma pigmentosum cells with normal levelsof excision repair have a defect in DNA synthesisafter UV-irradiation.Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA, 12_, 219-223 (1975).

G.G Khachatourians, M.C. Paterson, R.J. Sheehy,B. Van Dorp, and T.E. Worthy

DNA Degradation in MinieelIs of Escherichia coliK-12. II. Effect of recAl and recB21 mutationson DNA Degradation in~Mihicells and Detection ofExonuclease V Activity.Molec. gen. Genet. 138, 179-192 (1975).

- 109 -

Rosann A. Farber and Paul UnrauIsolation of Cold-sensitive Chinese Hamster o>Hs.Molec. gen. Genet. 13£, 233-242 (1975).

P. UnrauThe Excision of Pyrimidine Dimers from the DNAof Mutant and Wild-Type Strains of Ustilago.Mutation Research 2JJ, 53-65 (1975).


5.19.1 Fresented papers

H.C. BirnboimPolypyrimidine/polypurine Containing Satellitein Drosophila me]anogaster DNA.Paper presented at the Canadian Federation oi"Biological Societies Meeting, 18th Annual NV<tin!,Winnipeg, Manitoba.June 24-27, 1975.

J.D. ChiIds and H.C. BirnboimPolyaery1amide Gel Electrophoresis of IntactBacteriophage T4D Particles.Invited paper presented at the Third InternationalCongress for Virology, Madrid, Spain.September 10-17, 1975.

J.D. ChildsMutants of Bacteriophage T4 Unable to Grow onStreptomycin Resistant Strains of Eschorichiacoli.Paper presented at the Society of GeneralMicrobiology Meeting at the University ofNewcastle, Newcastle, England.September 24-26, 1975.

N.E. GentnerRepair of Strand Breaks in Micrococcus radiodurans.Paper presented at the Fifth InternationalBiophysics Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark.August 4-9, 1975.

R.E.J. MitchelIonizing Radiation Induced Release of Polysacch.iridesfrom Micrococcus radiodurans.Paper presented at the Fifth Internationa]Biophysics Congress, Copenhagen, Denmark.August 4-9, 1975.

- 110 -

D.K. Mye rsTumor induction by X-radiation and urethane inrats .Radiation Research Society, Miami.May 11-15, 19 75.

D.K. MyersRepair of the double strand breaks produced by1-125 disintegrations in the DNA of Micrococcusradiodurans. International Conference onRadioisotopes on Biological Consequences, Jvilich,West Germany.October 2-4, 1975.

19.2 Lectures or seminars

H.C. BirnboimPolypyrimidines in eukaryotic DNA.Lecture given at National Research Council.January 24, 19/5.

H.C. BirnboimRNA Metabolism in Eukaryotic Cells.Graduate course in Molecular Biology, Universityof Ottawa.January 23-24, 1975.

H.C. BirnboimArrangement of Polypyrimidine Sequences in theMouse Genome.Lecture at the Department of Biochemistry,University of Manitoba.November 3, 19 75.

M.C. PatersonEnzymatic repair of damaged DNA.Graduate course in Molecular Biology, Universityof Ottawa.February 12, 1975.

M.C. PatersonMolecular basis of the neurovascular disease,ataxia telangiectasia.Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute,Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario.December 10, 1975.

- Ill -

M.C. PatersonDefective excision repair of T-ray-damagod UNAin human (ataxia telangiectasia) cells.Department of 3iochemistry, University ofMontreal, Montreal, P.Q.December 12, 1975.

P. UnrauReplication and Recombination in Ustilago maydis,Lecture given to the Medical Genetics Group,University of Toronto.October 27, 1975.

P. UnrauA Model for Chromosome Condensation.Lecture given to the Genetics Division,N.I.M.R., Mill Hill, London.November 13, 1975.

5.19.3 Local talks

W.F. BaldwinEffects of radiation on insects.Talk to NBC Staff Officers.Tour of Biology Branch Laboratories.March 11, 1975.

W.F. BaldwinResearch Effects of Radiation in Insects.Talk to students at Mini Course at MacKenzie HSchool.April 24-25, 1975.

W.F. BaldwinAdvances in Research in Biology.Talk to summer student guides on Training tourat CRNL.June 11, 1975.

W.F. BaldwinResearch at CRNL with Radiation and Insects.Talk to students at Student Elective Programat Keys Senior Public School.June 13, 1975.

W.F. BaldwinTalk to Biology Students from University ofNorth Bay, October 14, 1975.

- 112 -li.C. Birnboim

Polypyrimidines in eukaryotic DNA.Talk to students from the University of Toronto.February 19 75.

H.C. BirnboimIntroduction to the Biology Branch.Talk to summer student guides on training tourat CRNL.May 13, 1975.

H.C. BirnboimTalk to Biology Students from University ofNorth Bay.October 14, 1975.

R.E.J. MitchelRadiation Damage in Micrococcus radiodurans cell walls.Talk to students from the University of Toronto.February, 1975.

R.E.J. MitchelIonizing Radiation and Cell Damage.Talk to Summer Student guides on training tour at CRNL.May 13, 1975.

R.E.J. MitchelTalk to Biology Students from University ofNorth Bay.October 14, 19 75.

D.K. Myers(1) IAEA Symposium on Biological Effects of LowLevel Radiation, Chicago, November 3-7, 1975.(2) International Conference on Molecular andMicrodistribution of Radioisotopes and BiologicalConsequences, Julich, October 2-4, 1975.Talk to Biology and Health Physics Divisionpersonnel.December 1975.

D.K. MyersRadiation-induced tumors.Talk to students from the University of Toronto.February 1975.

D.K. MyersTumor induction in rats.Talk to summer student guides on training tour at CRNL.June 11, 1975.

M.C. PatersonEnzymatic repair of DNA in irradiated human cells.Talk to students from the University of Toronto.February 1975.

• 113 -

P. UnrauTalk to Biology Students from University of NorthBay.October 14, 1975.

5.20 INVITED SPEAKERS

Mr. J.C. Villforth, Director, Bureau of RadiologicalHealth, U.S. Dept. of Health, Education andWelfare, Public Health Service, Food andDrug Adminstration, Rockvilie, Maryland -"Hazards of Microwaves and Lasers",January 24, 1975.

Dr. H.L. Heijneker, Department of Biochemistry,Leiden State University, 64 Wassenaarseweg,Leiden, The Netherlands - "BiochemicalProperties of a E. coli K12 Mutant Deficientin 5' - 3' Exonucleolytic Activity of DNAPolymerase I",March 7, 1975.

Dr. A.R. Lehmann, University of Sussex, MRC Cellmutation Unit, Falmer, Brighton, England -"Post-replication Repair of DNA in UV-Irradiated Human Cells",March 24, 1975.

Dr. J.M. Boyle, Paterson Laboratories, ChristieHospital and Holt Radium Institute,Manchester, England - "Effects of UV-Irradiation on the Binding of Phage to themembrane of E. coli",April 1, 19 75".

Dr. P.J. Dyne, Director, Chemistry and MaterialsScience Division, Atomic Energy of CanadaLimited, Whiteshell Nuclear ResearchEstablishment, Pinawa, Manitoba - "CurrentIdeas on Waste Management",April 10, 1975.

,Dr. D.G. Somers, Department of Medical GeneticsUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario -"Alpha Amanitin-Resistant RNA Polymerase II inRat Myoblasts" ,June 4, 1975.

- 114 -

Dr. R.S. Feldberg, Department of Biology, TuftsUniversity, iV jford, Ma., U.S.A. - "ADamage-Specific DNA Binding Protein fromHuman Cells",October 21, 1975.

Dr. a. Sells, Laboratory of Molecular Biology,Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's,Newfoundland - "Biogenesis of Components ofthe Protein Synthesizing System",October 30, 1975.

Dr. J.H. van de Sande, Department of MedicalBiochemistry, University of Calgary, Calgary,Alberta - "Unusual Substrate Specificity ofT4 Polynucleotide Ligase",November 13, 1975.

Di. M. Fraser, Department of Biochemistry,McGill University, Montreal, Quebec -"Recombination Nuclease of Neurospora Crassa?",November 28, 1975.

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