The Medical Research Cer
Mer
Brookhaven
National
! a GHn
t
Symp,
The Shorter-Term Bloloyical Hazards
of a Fallout Field, Wash,, D.C. 12/12-14/5:
Edited by G.M. Dunning and J.A, Hilcken,
Sponsored by AEC, DOD,
Ce ivr
Upton, LoL, New York
y
pp.
135-142.
AOL ROR
THE EFFECTS OF FALLOUT RADIATION ON THE SKIN
©&498
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By Rouner A. Conann, M.D.
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Fallout may bo classified as the “worldwide”
or the “close-in”? type
Worldwide fallout results from the dissemination of minute particles of radioactive material
from nuclear detonations which slowlysettle out
from the stratosphere and troposphere over the
world. Duo to the great dilution of this type
of fallout and to the loss of activity with time
‘evolved it does not impose a hazard to the skin
but may result’ in a long-term hazard from
internal deposition and possible genetic effects
froin lowlovel irradiation,
Close-in fallout is most likely to result from
largo atomic detonations in which the fireball
comes in contact with the ground, causing
large amounts of material to be drawn up into
the cloud where the radiouctive products adhere
to the ground particles. Due to the relatively
large size of these particles they may then be
deposited within several hundred miles of the
detonation. With this type of fallout there is
areal hazard not only to the skin, but also from
whole body penetrating radiation and from
internal absorption of radioactive materinls.
The nearer the site of detonation that fallout
occurs the greater is the hazard. The nearer
fallout takes place earlier and is therefore more
active due to having undergone less radioactive
decay and it is more concentrated since larger
amounts (particularly larger particles) tend to
fall outfirst.
The aceidental exposure of some 240 Marshallese, 28 Anmericans and 23 Japaneso fishermen during Operation Castle, March 1954,
affords our most extensive experience with fallout effects on the human skin and in this talk
frequent references will be made to data obtained on these people [1, 2]. Several other
PEPOSITORY
ON. RECORDS
cases of human exposureto fission products or
beta emitting material either accidentally or
experimentally have been reported [3-8]. Skin
lesions in cattle and horses have also occurred
from fallout following experimental detonations
at Alamogordo and in Nevada [9, 10]. Rather
numerous experiments on the effects of beta
radiation on the skin of animals have been reported and these data will be referred to, also
{11-15}.
First, some of the physical and biological
factors related to skin damago from fallout will
be discussed. The chemical and physical makeup of fallout will vary according to the type of
terrain or soil over which the detonation occurs.
All fallout is particulate in nature, but. the size
of the particles will depend to some oxtent on
“the physieal and chemical charneteriation of the
soil, ‘Phe fallout associnted with the Castle
detonation, Mareh 1, 1954, was a white, powdery material largely composed of incinerated
coral. Aside from tho radioactive component
the calcium oxide of the material was in itself
irritating to the skin due to its caustic nature:
Moreover it was probably partly dissolved in
the perspiration on the skin thus inereasing its
irritating action. (Incidentally, this may have
enhanced the radiation to the skin by bringing
the radioactive materials in closer contact. with
the skin.) Fallout: produced from other types
of soil, other than predominantly coral, might.
vary considerably in chemical and physical
makeup and irritation to the skin. Color and
particle size would also vary. For instance
siliccous type soils would probably form much
less irritating fallout.
It goes without saying that for fallout to
result in gross skin damageit would haveto be
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