Annual Report 1982

The Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) is entrusted with the responsibility to promote and regulate the peaceful uses of atomic energy in the country. As a research agency, PAEC activities have been directed toward the attainment of government priority goals. In line with the KKK Program, researches have been geared toward the socio-economic improvement of bur people. A number of them are: - A study on the hormonal pattern of the adult female carabao which showed that 50 per cent pregnancy rate at fixed number of hours after a second dose of synchronizing hormone has been given. Observation on the hormonal pattern through radioimmunoassay techniques facilitates timing for artificial insemination. - An irradiated vaccine against the parasite.haemonchus contortus has been produced that will alleviate farm animals of the scourge of the parasite. - Mutation studies on the Bengawan rice variety have resulted in a 4.21 tons hectare harvest, compared with the original's 1.42 tons/hectare yield. - Two PAEC mungbean varieties characterized by large and shiny yellow seeds and non-shattering pods even when mature have been turned over to the KKK beneficiaries for mass production. - Efforts to derive alcohol from agricultural wastes have achieved a 50 percent increase in sugar yield from said wastes through the use of gamma radiation. Other fields of studies have garnered equally encouraging results. - Studies on iron absorption of Filipinos have shown that there is a direct relationship between iron absorption and fortification levels (through an iron-fortified diet). - Chitin from crab shells has been found to be good in concentrating lead, cadmium, zinc and iron from environmental samples and are thus useful in decontaminating pollution in water. This leads too to the possibility of using it as a decontaminant in radioactive waste water.