Brn 8 ae
co are
6.1
Gli
Imereducticn
Signifcenee of che | Masch Shot
The events following the firmt shat detonsted
at the Pacifr preving grounds in 1954, de
erribed in thin report, served to emphaniae new
problems resulting from the use of atoms
weapons. These different effects, the importance of which was only vaguely appreciated
,
Pi
om
before, were brought into sharp focus by the
present episode. In this chapter the medical
problems associated with the use of atomic
weapons o¢ nuclear reactor accidents will be
discuswed. In particular, the problems asao-
ciated with large wale fallout, as they were
beought ont in the prevent experience and as
they may pertain to the thinking and planning
of civil defense, the military and industries emploving nuclear power will be discuseed. Human radiation injury resulting from exposure
to fallout and other nuclear radiations will be
described, as well as current thought on the
diagnosis and treatment of the disease states
resulting from exposure to these radiat rons.
dent reported here are net necemarily typecal
of potential fallow situations in the future. It
in clear, hawever, that the cardinal effects te be
experted from fallout radiations, aa exemplified
by the events described in this report, are clearcut and can be predicted with a reasonable de-
gree of awurance.
In particular, this accident has emphasized
the particulate nature. of the fallout material
that renderedit visible in many areas. It should
not be inferred that serious fallout will neces-
sarily be visible under other conditions of detonation. Also, the chemical nature of the material (calcium oxide) will be encountered in
only limited areas of the world.
Extrapolation of the Present Findings ww
More General Situstions
6.2
It must be emphasized that the large experi-
6.21
6.12
mental nuclear device, the detonation of which
led to the exposure of diuaman beings to fallout
radiations, was exploded clu 2 to the ground on
a tropical coral atoll under peologie and geo-
graphic conditions that are significantly dif-
ferent from most populated areas of the world.
Rach of these conditions, i.e. size of weapon,
height of burst, tvpe of terrain, weather con-
ditions, presence or absence of water under or
near the burst will obviously influence markedly
the rate aind extent of contamination by fallout,
and the particle size and chemical nature of the
fallout material. These factors have been discussed ins official: releases (1-4). It follows, therefore, that the events observed in the acci-
Although,
as stated in Chapter PIT, the chemical action
of the fallout material was considered to have
contributed little or none to the effects seen, the
tlegree of adhesiveness of the materia) to skin
and hair might be quite different with different
fallout materia), and in a colder climate where
sweating would be minimal.
The Effects of Kiloton Weapons
Blast and Thermal Effects
He fore the problems of fallout associated with
Inegaton Weapons are discussed in detail, the
Inedieal effect. of kiloton weapons will be re-
viewed brietiy for contrast. The effects of such
weapons have been considered chiefly in’ the
contest of the nominal or 20 KT weapon deto-
nated highin the air. (5). The blast and heat
effects have been treated thoroughly by Oughtersen et al. (6) and little adelitional comment
in required here. Hlast and heat accounted for
the vast majority of serious casualties in the
Hiroshima and Nagasaki incidents. It should
be pointed out, however, that in cities with more
substantial dwellings than were present in
“gs
on
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