Radiation official speaks on radioisotopes

Joe McCue, associate director of the Radiation Safety Committee at the University, held a seminar in the John Morgan basement intended to focus on the usage of animals in radioisotope research. But the seminar failed to address the issue of animals and instead concentrated mainly on the hazards of radiation exposure "I'm not an expert at all on animals," said McCue. The seminar consisted of a one-hour slide presentation and attracted mainly medical students. The lecture addressed some of the uses for isotope research, including dilution studies, barrier penetration studies, and the study of genetic diseases. According to McCue, the average person is bathed in 100 to 200 units of radiation per year, whether from cosmic or terrestrial sources. At high doses, the effects of exposure include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and listlessness. As the dosage decreases, the effects are less detectable until no visible symptoms appear. The low dose effects may be genetic, carcinogenic, or in-utero. One rad of dosage to a fetus can result in a five in one thousand risk of death. According to McCue, the best way to avoid external exposure, is through time, distance, and shielding. One should spend as little time as possible, at the farthest distance from the source of radiation, and with the maximum amount of protection, whether it be plastic or lead. The job of the Radiation Safety Committee is to approve investigator qualifications. Researchers need approval in order to use animals in this type of research.

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