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Chemical dosimetry of prompt and residual radiations from nuclear detonations. Project 37. 5 of Operation Plumbbob

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6675593

Chemical dosimetry studies were made to estimate human exposures to prompt and residual radiations from nuclear detonations. They include measurements of: (1) gamma radiation from fall-out at on-stie and off-stie areas; (2) air-dose and depth-dose distribution determinations in human phantoms placed at positions calculated to receive prompt neutron and ..gamma..-radiation exposures in the dose range of medical interest (0 to 1000 rads); and (3) estimates of ..gamma.. and mixed neutron plus ..gamma.. radiation exposures that might aid in the evaluation of Japanese who survived prompt-..gamma.. exposures at Nagasaki as compared with neutron plus ..gamma.. exposures at Hiroshima. The feasibility of using direct-reading chemical dosimeters for estimating ..gamma..-ray exposures from nuclear fall-out and from prompt bomb ..gamma.. radiations was demonstrated. The responses of single-phase dosimeters to ..gamma.. rays plus neutrons provided a useful index of the total exposure. The present estimates regarding human median lethal (LD/sub 50/) doses of whole-body ..gamma.. radiation, namely about 350 r for multidirectional exposures from fall-out and about 450 r for unidirectional prompt-..gamma.. exposures, are in accord with each other on the basis of depth-dose distribution results and integral-dose calculations. On the same basis, the LD/sub 50/ dose for a mixed neutron-..gamma.. ray exposure in equal amounts should be about 450 rads or less, depending on the relative biological effectiveness (RBE) values used for neutrons.

Research Organization:
California Univ., Los Angeles (USA)
OSTI ID:
6675593
Report Number(s):
WT-1493
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English