The six general areas of civil effects study in the Plumbbob —
program are:
(1) Fallout radiation
(2)
Prompt-gamma and prompt-neutron radiation
(4)
(5)
Blast biology studies
.
Radiological countermeasures and training
(3)
Blast effects on structures
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Correlation of Biological Data
Considerable effort is being devoted in the 1957 series toward
obtaining more information in field tests, through use of animals
and various tissue-equivalent materials, which can be applied in
determining the effects of radiation on man,
In the past, insects, animals and materials have been studied
in laboratories and in the field to try to arrive at the probable
effects on man. However, there are important differences in
response to radiatien exposure between the different species. Many
of the differences are based upon size. There also are differences
between laboratory theory or experimentation and actual experierice
in the presence of full scale nuclear detonations, More data has
been obtained from laboratory work than from work done in associa-~
tion with nuclear detonations.
Experiments being carried out in Plumbbob have been integrated
into a coordinated effort to fill out as far as possible the spec-
trum of desired effects data,
Robert L. Corsbie, Director, Civil Effects Test Group, has
described the resulting coordinated project as one which does not
cost 25 cents above the originally proposed activities, but which
would cost more than a million dollars if planned separately.
The Franklin shot, second in the series, had associated with
it an unusually broad program of experiments to help determine the
acute and chronic effects of radiation exposure. Other experiments
later in the series, including Wilson, were to be used to supplement the data obtained from Franklin.
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Angular Distribution Studies are being conducted during the
series through the use of collimators and greatly improved dosimetry
td evaluate the radiation doses which would be received by individuals in locations shielded by physical structures or terrain.