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• What are the dangers of radiation and radioactive fallout?

• How/where should an atomic bomb be detonated to maximize blast intensity? Radio-fallout exposure?

• What are the symptoms of radiation exposure?

CHARACTERISTICS & MEDICAL EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Objectives

• Match the type of nuclear weapons burst with its description.

• Recognize the medical effects of thermal, blast, radiation and combined injuries.

• List the environmental consequences of thermal, blast and radiation.

Overview

• Types of Ionizing Radiation• Terms• Types of Bursts• Medical and Environmental Effects of

Thermal Radiation• Medical and Environmental Effects of the

Blast Wave

• Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation:

• Medical effects of Combined injuries• Detection, Protection & Patient

Decontamination

REFERENCE:

• Air Force Handbook 32-4014, USAF Ability to Survive and Operate Procedures in a Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Environment

• Ionization– The separation of an electrically neutral atom or

molecule into electrically charged components termed an ion pair.

– This is accomplished by removal of one or more electrons from an atom or molecule, which then becomes a positively charged ion.

• Ionizing Radiation – A radioactive source which has gone through the

ion process.

• Alpha Radiation: A particulate with a very short range (2 to 3 inches). Has low penetration power and will not penetrate skin. Primarily an inhalation or internal hazard. This is the most ionizing form of radiation.

TYPES OF IONIZING RADIATION

• Beta: Particulate with a medium range approximately 26 ft. Medium penetration power. Will penetrate the skin and cause beta burns.

• Gamma/x-ray: Electromagnetic Radiation has no charge. Very penetrating and absorbed by dense material i.e. lead. Primarily a hazard to living tissue. Gamma and xray are identical.

• Neutron: A particulate that is very penetrating. Neutrons are required to initiate the fission process. Large quantities produced in a nuclear explosion. May cause some things to become radioactive.

• Nuclear Detonation - Occurs as a result of the unstable isotopes of uranium or plutonium interaction with itself, thus causing a chain reaction at the subatomic level. To achieve this reaction the uranium or plutonium must have critical mass.

• Air Burst: Detonation at such a height that the expanding fireball does not touch the earth’s surface. Blast, Thermal, and Prompt radiation are maximized.

TYPES OF BURSTS

Surface Burst: • Detonation at the surface of the land or

water or at the height above the surface less than the radius of the fireball.

• Fireball must make contact with the surface.

• Maximizes fallout, and blast and thermal effects are reduced.

TYPES OF BURSTS

• Subsurface Burst: – Detonation where the center of the weapon is located

below the earth or water surface. – No Thermal or Prompt radiation, but may be some local

fallout if weapon vents to the surface. • High Altitude Detonation

– Detonation at an altitude of above 100,000 feet. – Specifically designed to cause an electromagnetic pulse

(EMP).

TYPES OF BURSTS

ENERGY DISTRIBUTION

• Blast - 50% of the energy• Thermal - 35 % of the energy• Radiation - 15% of the energy

– 10% - fallout or residual radiation– 5% - prompt radiation which is gamma/neutron

and occurs during the first 60 seconds

• Characteristics: HOT!...millions of degrees– Travels at the speed of light: 186,000 mps – Travels in a straight line– Has little penetration and is easily absorbed– Emission time will increase with yield (larger

the bomb the longer the emission)

Medical and Environmental Effects of Thermal Radiation:

• Pulses:– Light - First Thermal Pulse - Short range, little

power, basically UV & X-ray radiation – Heat - Second Thermal Pulse - Longer lasting,

more energy, and longer range.

• Medical Effects:– First Thermal Pulse - Flash blindness and

retinal burns– Second Thermal Pulse - Skin Burns– Factors that Effect Burns:

• Length of exposure• Percent of body exposed• Amount of energy per unit area of body

• Boy exposed to thermal rays about 1.5 miles from the hypocenter. February 1946.

• Environmental Effects: Firestorms, burning buildings, and toxic gases

Medical and Environmental Effects of the Blast Wave:

• Blast Wave: a wave of compressed air traveling at the speed of sound.

• Components:– Static Overpressure: Crushing, squeezing force

that surround objects. This can be measured in PSI above atmospheric pressure.

– Dynamic winds - Gale force winds associated with blast wave. Causes damage by pushing, tumbling, or tearing apart.

• Medical Effects:– Primary/Direct: Static overpressure results form

overpressure compression or decompression. Ex Pneumothorax, air embolisms, ruptured organs.

– Secondary/indirect - Dynamic gale force winds and flying objects• Crushing injuries - debris falling on you• Missile injuries - debris flying at you• Translational Injuries - (with winds in excess of 250

mph) - You become airborne.

• Environmental Effects: High winds and pressure knock things down.

• Prompt Radiation: Occurs within the first minute of detonation and consists of Gamma (Electromagnetic) and Neutron (Particulate)

Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation:

• Residual Radiation (Fallout): – Early Fallout: the fallout that retuns to earth

during the first 24 hours after detonation. This is the MOST hazardous type of fallout.

– Delayed Fallout: Experienced after the first 24 hours. Long term medical hazard due to long lived radioisotopes which get dispersed over large area. Considered long term health hazard.

Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation:

• Acute Effects:– Early Fallout: Causes acute effects which are

beta burns and Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) which is a condition caused by acute exposure to radiation • 0-100 RAD Subcritical• 400-500 RAD = LD 50• > 1000 RAD = LD 99.

Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation (Acute):

• Stages of ARS:– Prodomal - People getting sick– Latent - A feeling of well being that lasts 14-

21 days– Acute - The patient get sick again– Recovery - The patient gets better or dies

• Body Systems are Affected in sequential order:– Hemopoetic System - Blood forming cells and

bone marrow– Digestive System– Cardiovascular System– CNS

• Delayed Fallout causes chronic effects such as cancers, genetic mutations, and growth defects.

• Factors that Affect Severity: – What was the radiation dose?– How was the dose distributed (Whole body or

small area)– Length of time exposed

Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation (Chronic):

• Environmental Effects: – fallout contamination of food & water– Biological uptake of radiological chemicals

Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation

Medical effects of COMBINED injuries.

• Combined blast, thermal and radiation effects are greater than individual effects...a synergistic effect

• Prognosis worse if radiation is combined with thermal or blast or both

Detection, Protection & Patient Decontamination

• Detected & Measured: ADM 300• Remove fallout contamination by brushing,

clothing removal, shower• Vacuum with HEPA filter vacuum• Risk to Medical Personnel

– Fallout on clothing/skin/wounds– Inhalation (Alpha/Beta)– Ingestion (Alpha/Beta)

Summary

• Types of Ionizing Radiation• Terms• Types of Bursts• Medical and Environmental Effects of

Thermal Radiation• Medical and Environmental Effects of the

Blast Wave

• Medical and Environmental Effects of Radiation:

• Medical effects of Combined injuries• Detection, Protection & Patient

Decontamination

The Project Sedan nuclear excavation experiment which produced a crater

1,286 feet in diameter and 323 feed deep, displacing 12 million tons of earth. The device used was 104 kilotons and was detonated at 635 feet beneath the surface on July 6, 1962.

Sedan was the second of Plowshares tests, the first, named Gnome, was set off December 10, 1961. Altogether there were 35 Plowshare experimental detonations between 1961 and 1973.

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