Radioactive fallout from Chinese nuclear weapons test

Technical Report · Sun Sep 26 04:00:00 EDT 1976

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10131262· OSTI ID:10131262

Thomas, C W; Soldat, J K; Silker, W B; Perkins, R W

Radioactive fallout from this Chinese nuclear test resulted in measurable deposition of short-lived debris over much of the United States. The fallout levels varied by more than 1000-fold and showed significant temporary or spatial fractionation with higher levels of deposition being associated with rain. The particle size with which the airborne debris was associated decreased continuously with time following detonation and a substantial fraction of the {sup 131}I was associated with inorganic and organic gases. The potential radiation dose to an infant consuming milk produced at the location of the highest concentration of {sup 131}I measured on grass was estimated to be {approximately}l rem. This dose is about 50 times the annual dose received in the vicinity of a power reactor operating under the existing US Nuclear Regulatory Commission design guides. The potential upper limit thyroid dose for the population of 17 eastern seaboard states from this single test was estimated to be about 2.4 {times} 10{sup 6} man-thyroid-rem under the assumption that all dairy cows remained on fresh pasture throughout the month following the initial decomposition of fallout debris. This dose is about 200 times the estimated dose from currently operating nuclear power reactors and about 50 times the annual US population thyroid dose that would be received from 500 GWe of nuclear power reactors in the year 2000.

• Research Organization: Battelle-Northwest, Richland, WA (United States). Pacific Northwest Lab.
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 10131262
• Report Number(s): BNWL--2164; ON: DE94007821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
450200
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540130
560101
61 RADIATION PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
AIR
CHINA
DOSIMETRY AND MONITORING
FALLOUT
FOOD CHAINS
HANFORD RESERVATION
HUMAN POPULATIONS
INFANTS
IODINE 131
MAN
MILK
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AND EXPLOSIVES
RADIATION DOSES
RADIOACTIVE AEROSOLS
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT
RADIOECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
RADIONUCLIDE MIGRATION
THYROID