The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps: a need for engineers.

In 1798, President John Adams signed the bill creating the Marine Hospital Service to medically care for U.S. merchant seamen. That agency is known today as the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). In 1918, the PHS Commissioned Corps commissioned sanitary engineers in the Reserve Corps, and in 1930, President Herbert Hoover signed the Parker Act authorizing sanitary engineers to be part of the regular Commissioned Corps. During the world war years, PHS engineers were detailed to improve sanitation for military bases in the United States and abroad. In the 1960s, most PHS engineers served in the Indian Health Service, upgrading sanitation facilities for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. During the 1970s, PHS engineers were involved in providing an integrated and coordinated attack on environmental issues. Today, PHS engineers are involved with many aspects of public health protection and have been detailed around the world to provide emergency assistance in the wake of disasters.

Humanity and radiation: the good, the bad, and the unusual.

Radiation has permeated the universe since time began. People disagree widely about the merits and dangers of nuclear technology. Radiation is often associated in the minds of people with bombs, fallout, destruction, and death rather than with the many benefits of nuclear technology that are present in our daily lives. Rarely do individuals focus on the medical applications of radiation and the fact that nuclear technology saves lives. Over the years, accidents have happened in the nuclear industry; some have produced fatalities, but most proved to be a major source of concern only to the local populace. Since the discovery of naturally occurring radium and uranium and the advent of synthetic radionuclides, a number of consumer products have used radiation, some of which were beneficial and some which were of no benefit at all.

Radiation safety training program at the National Institutes of Health.

At the U.S. Public Health Service's National Institutes of Health (NIH), one of the world's largest biomedical and clinical research institutions, 70 to 80% of all research is performed using radiation or radioactive materials. To maintain a safe environment and minimize risks to the health and safety of the employees, patients, visitors, and the surrounding community, a radiation protection program is required. Under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licenses and NIH policies, the Radiation Safety Branch (RSB), Division of Safety, administers a comprehensive radiation safety program covering over 3,500 NIH laboratories and some 7,000 laboratory and ancillary staff workers. The NIH radiation protection program provides for the effective supervision, control, and monitoring of all radioactive materials and radiation sources at NIH. This includes activities such as radiation exposure monitoring, laboratory inspections, waste management, consulting, environmental monitoring, and training. Training is considered an integral part of the radiation safety program. RSB offers an extensive training program with over 20 different training courses each year. For example, in 1993 some 6,700 employees attended 243 classes.

PHS commissioned officers and EPA: a natural coalition for environmental quality and public health.

Commissioned officers of the U.S. Public Health Service play a vital role in enabling EPA to achieve its objectives and responsibilities to protect the environment and the health of the country. Of the 220 officers currently (as of April 1990) detailed to EPA, most are in the engineer category. Table III lists, by category, the PHS officers on detail to EPA. Table IV lists the approximate distribution of officers among various geographical assignments at EPA.