THE EFFECTS OF FALLOUT RADIATION ON THE SKIN
By Ronerr A. Conanrp, M. D.
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Fallout may be 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. Due 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
from low level irradiation.
Close-in fallout is most likely to result from
large 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 radioactive products adhere
to the ground particles. Due to the relatively
large size of these particles they may then be
deposited within several kundred 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 materials.
The nearer the site of detonation that fallout
occurs the greater is the hazard. The nearer
fallout takes place earlier and is therefore more
cases of human exposure to fission products or
beta emitting material either accidentally or
experimentally have heen reported [3-8]. Skin
lesions in cattle and horses have also occurred
fromfallout 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
[1115].
First, some of the physieal and biological
factors related to skin damage 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 orcurs.
All fallout is particulate in nature, butthe size
of the particles will depend to some extent on
the physical and chemical characteristics of the
soil. The fallout associated with the Castle
detonation, March 1, 1954, was a white, pow-
dery material largely composed of incinerated
coral. Aside fram the radioaclive component
the calcium oxide of the material was in itself
irritating to the skin due (o its caustic nature.
Moreover it was probably partly dissolved in
the perspiration on the skin thus increasing its
irritating action. (Incidentally, this may have
active due to having undergone less radioactive
decay and it is more concentrated since larger
enhanced the radiation to the skin by bringing
the radioactive materials in closer contact with
The accidental exposure of some 240 Mar-
of soil, other than predominantly coral, might
vary considerably in chemical and physical
makeup andirritation to the skin. Color and
amounts (particularly larger particles) tend to
fall out first.
shallese, 28 Americans and 23 Japanese 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
the skin.)
Fallout produced from other types
particle size would also vary.
For instance
siliceous type soils would probably form much
less irritating fallout.
It goes without saying that for fallout to
resultin gross skin damageit would have to be
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