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# ACMUI History

The program for distributing radioisotopes in the United States grew out of part of the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge. Individuals working on the Manhattan project had developed the greatest technical expertise during WWII, and the Manhattan Project publicly announced its program for distributing radioactive isotopes in 1946. Medical researchers and doctors previously had limited access to radioisotopes produced from cyclotrons; however, this new distribution program also allowed access to byproduct material from the uranium chain. Each byproduct material order had to be reviewed and approved, and for human use, each application was reviewed by a special subcommittee at Oak Ridge.

In 1947, Congress created the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which transferred control from the military to civilian sector. The new AEC encompassed all parts of the Manhattan Project, including the subcommittee experts who reviewed and approved distribution of radioactive isotopes. The first medical regulations were developed in the 1950s. The system regulated the types of uses allowed according to their hazard and known risks. It required and provided training of those who would use radioisotopes, and it required the establishment of local radioisotope committees. In 1959, the Oak Ridge subcommittee doing reviews and approvals was officially named the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI). The Commission established the ACMUI under the authority of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. In 1974, the Energy Reorganization Act split AEC's responsibilities between the NRC and what is now known as the Department of Energy. The ACMUI's name, functions, and reporting structure remained unchanged under the NRC. Currently the activities of the ACMUI are subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act regulated by the U.S. General Services Administration and NRC's regulations in 10 CFR Part 7.

For additional information, please see:Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments Final Report - Chapter 6: The AEC Program of Radioisotope Distribution.

(Please note: The Historical Membership list below is not comprehensive.)

## Historical Membership

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Monday, March 11, 2024

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Page Last Reviewed/Updated Monday, March 11, 2024