EFFECTS OF ATOMIC RADIATION ON VISION

Journal Article · Thu Nov 29 04:00:00 EST 1962 · Optometric Weekly

OSTI ID:4031994

Greene, W M

The known effects of nuclear explosions on the retina are discussed in terms of the eye lesions to be expected among survivors of a thermonuclear attack. Studies of rabbits during explosions of small atomic bombs showed that the retinas were burned when they were as far as 42 miles from the poirt of detonation. The blink reflex of the eye takes about 1/10 sec and is too slow to afford protection from any of the three main causes of ocular injuries: effects of short-wave radiation; effects of intense, visible light and long-wave radiation; and effects of flying debris and falling structures, as well as blast effect upon the individual. It is suggested that the American people have not been adequately told how to react to a nuclear blast, and that with 260 weapons detonated, as in some attack estimates, a substartial portion of the people would be attracted to a flash of light and naturally glance toward it. The biomedical project of the Teak and Orange tests showed that a very high-altitude nuclear explosion can be particularly damaging to the eye due to the rapid rate at which the power pulse delivers thermal energy, and because of the relatively low atmosphere attenuation encountered. A high-altitude detonation in the mt yield range, such as Teak, delivered a great percertage of its thermal energy during a small fraction of a sec after the detonation. Consequently, with a blink reflex time of just over 1/4 sec for the rabbit and less than a 1/4 sec for man, nearly all of the radiant exposure from a very high-altitude burst is received by the retina before the eye can be protected by blinking. This is in contrast to low- altitude detonntions of the same size where the power pulse is much slower in over-all delivery of its thermal componert and where the blink reflex can produce a measure of protection. Rabbits placed at distances up to 300 miles from the point of detonation developed small retinal burns, and burn diameters correlated with distance from the burst with progressively smaller lesions being encountered at increased distances. For example, the burn lesions were approximates 2 mm in diameter at about 40 miles distant, decreasing to 0.5 mm at 300 miles. Various other tests conducted during nuclear detonations are described and their results summarized. Thermal effects of a nuclear detonation on the eyes are also considered. Thermal radiation can cause temporary or permanert blindness from the intense light. It takes about 1 sec for the thermal output from a 1-Mt detonation to reach its peak irtensity, and about 3 sec for a 10-Mt detonation to reach its peak intensity. Evasive action must be taken almost instantly if it is to be effective. Temporary or permanert blindness could be caused by the thermal radiation if a person is looking in the general direction of the fireball at the precise moment of detonation. The lens of the eye focuses heat as well as light rays on the retina of the eye. Thus, in addition to temporary or flash blindness of a few seconds or minutes duration from the intense light, actual burns of the retina could occur from undue amount of thermal radiation entering the eye. (BBB)

• Research Organization: Originating Research Org. not identified
• NSA Number: NSA-18-018103
• OSTI ID: 4031994
• Journal Information: Optometric Weekly, Journal Name: Optometric Weekly Vol. Vol: 53
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

BIOLOGY
COMBUSTION
ENERGY
EYES
FALLOUT
HEALTH AND SAFETY
IRRADIATION
LEAKS
LEVELS
LIGHT
MAN
MEDICINE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
POWER
RABBITS
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATION INJURIES
RADIATION PROTECTION
SAFETY
SHOCK WAVES
THERMAL RADIATION