EXTERNAL BETA EXPOSURE
The second principal emission from the fallout material is
-
even the most energetic travel only a short distance into the skin.
of
(See the next section for discussion on Internal Exposures.)
If large
enough radiation doses are delivered by these beta particles, the skin
may first show erythema (reddening) and then proceed to more serious
damage.
If a sizeable fraction of the body should suffer serious skin
damage from these beta radiations, the results would be similar to those
from thermal burns, i.e., serious injury or death.
There is little doubt that "beta burns can and have occurred.
In the case of the Marshallese who were in the fallout from the detona-
tion at the Pacific on March 1, 1954, most of the more heavily exposed
showed some degree of skin damage, as well as about half of them showing
some degree of epilation due to beta doses.2
However, none of these
effects were present except in those areas when the radiation material
was in contact with the skin, i.e. the scalp, neck, bend of the elbow,
between and topside of the toes.
No sxin damage was observed where
there was a covering of even a single layer of cotton clothing.
In fact,
the beta radiations eminating from the radioactive material on the ground
should have been adequate to produce detectable skin damage (based on
the amount of contamination present) yet this was not observed.
Tnese findings indicate the obvious benefits to be expected
from (a) remaining inside during the time of actual fallout toreduce
the possibility of direct body contamination, or if out-of-doors, to_
1 ¥se
These are essentially high speed electrons, of which:
ees
beta particles.
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