r
31 Decombor 1946
WA tetem ee
sad
A
i
!
/
j
/
i
|}
/
;
ee
Teete
t
.
Page Five
Sr fare
a ae
4
ne
aoe
=pa|
eon
‘
toner owe
cup
4
time interval when the unabsorbed fission products would remain within
the digestive trect and henooe reduce the degree of loonl radiation of
these orgens. However, absorption of fission produots from the digestive
froot is not significantly reduced by tho use of cathartica,
Oboviously,
it is not practical to adequately protect individuals from extomal gomma
radietion if they are to move about in areas which hevo been heavily cmtaminoted.
The typo of lead armour that would bo required would woigh
.many tonse In addition, it should be pointed out that there is no satisfactory mothod for combating the 6ffeots of radiation onos the individual
has been so oxposad, In brief, there is no satisfaotory method of reducing
the effects on personnel from fission produots oither following introduotion
of these agents into the body or efter damaging oxtornal body. exposure has
been reosived.
\
The recent and illuminating experionoas from Operation Crossroads
emphasizos the difficulties that will be enccunterad when oxternal objects
become contaminated with fissicn produots. It is essentially impossible to
leach them from soils ond the diffioulties that will prosont themselves
for the deconteminsation of buildings, roads, and other mon-mado structures
may be expected to be almost oqually insurmountable.
In othor words, once
-these agents are deposited, the troatment of both animate end inanimato
objects that have become infected with radioactivity would appoar to be an
almost hopeless task in light of our prsesont Imowledge.
The previous prep- ;
eration of arvas that may be expected to be so uxposed offors only Limited
encouragement .
:
| the most significent remedial measures that may be taken follow-
ing the deposition of fission products will fall into two major oatogorioes. -
First, the rapid evacuation of persome] in suoh areas as may bo infected,
end @ prompt survay of all such individuals so that those who have recoived
sufficient material to expect sorious damage may be hospitolized for what-
ever palliative measurcs may bo availablo to reduso their distress. At tho
same tine, such a woeding out proscoss makos it possible to releaso individ-
uals who aro rolatively freo from radioactive contamination for whatever
ootivities that may ba needed under such ciroumsteces, It is possible to
organize a very rapid end relatively procise means for making the type of ©
discrimination noted above if proper arrangements have been mace before-
“heand.
The second phase of this problem is, of course, the prompt monitoring
-of infected areas so that the degree of contamination end dangor can be
properly detomained.
the dotection of damage to individuals from oxtornal
gemmo vay irradiation is less satisfactory.
This 4s due to tho fact that
frequently the amount of irradiation requirod to produce immodicte ronotions
of radiation sickness suoh os nausea, vomiting, et cotora, is not far from
the lothal dose, The change in number and distribution of the leukooytos
of the circulating blood is relatively sensitive to amounts of radiation
in the ronge of 50 to 200 roentgens. However, due to tho fact that tho pro. oodure of taking a blood count requires of the order of thirty minutes, it
' might be difficult to adequately examine large numbers of individuals within
a short space of time,
The possible types of application of radioactive agents as
military weapons oon be initially divided into two major classifications;
-.
.
af
ele
ow ate
as
CEPAeReTaekerseth
wipro”
fear
re
rewemmtrmnewinanneee
hry
ee:
Fate ER hee ETee, yah fe te
SPHERE, aemewteneewd pants ot rE ANTE
ied itttatadiaietabetdh tide ad NTs Samed
Oe NN ee ERTENE GAT ty + ard Q ATEN gh
Teeny pt Mar Geer Oe: spay Sh reer .
ra
~~
_-
{