Search

The article discusses the behavior of fallout debris from the standpoint of the external radiation hazard presented by the local disposition of bomb-produced radioactivity in the U.S. Sufficient time has already elapsed to permit a realistic appraisal of the radiation doses. The theoretical calculations and experimental data obtained from the 1952 and 1954 fallouts from bomb tests facilitate the appraisal. Local fallouts are assumed to be a field uniformly contaminated to a level of 2 kilotons of fission products per square mile.

The article reports on the uncertainties in evaluating the effects of fallout from weapons tests. People from the scientific community know that the levels of radioactive fallout from weapons tests do not represent a serious hazard to humanity as compared to other everyday dangers. However, the question concerns the future if tests are continued. Predictions must take into account at least four factors, including the rate at which atomic devices will be exploded, the pattern of dissemination and distribution of the fallout, the rate of incorporation of fallout into the food chain and an estimate of the biological consequences of the storage of radioactive materials in the human body.

The article investigates the distribution and effects of radioactive fallout by researchers from the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. The study of radioactive fallout has two natural parts, the physical measurements program and the study of the biological effects of radiation. In summary, one might say that the mechanism of the distribution of fall-out and its entry into the human system is fairly well understood. On the biological side, however, the effects which radiation can produce are known only from experiments on animals, experiments which are generally carried out at much higher radiation levels

The article studies the somatic effects of fission products by researchers from the U.S. The advent of nuclear age has some scientists becoming concerned in determining plausible health hazards radioactive substances on humans upon exposure to different levels of radiation. Studies conducted by geneticists have confirmed that all radiation is genetically undesirable. Scientists assert that the most likely source of potentially damaging somatic effects arise from the slow accumulation of fission products in the biosphere and ultimately into the human anatomical systems.

The article discusses the after-effects of nuclear bomb explosions, the radioactive strontium or strontium-90, which make for limits on the use of nuclear explosives in war and peace. A surprising feature of multimegaton explosions is the hold-up of bomb debris in the stratosphere, indicating a fallout rate of 10-20 percent annually per British measurements. Once the invisible particles drift down to the troposphere, they are carried out by rain and snow to earth. The key link in the bomb-to-bone transport of radiostrontium is the intake of debris by dairy cattle and its subsequent incorporation in dairy products.

Radioactive contamination in air dust particles of Cairo atmosphere from the Fukushima accident was detected by the gamma-ray spectroscopy technique. Analysis of the spectra obtained by using an High-Purity Germanium detector showed that there were some traces of131I and134, 137Cs. Estimate and study of concentration of those radionuclides were done over a period of about 5 months after the accident. Comparison with corresponding results in different countries all over the world has been performed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: A fire at the Windscale plant at Cumbria in the UK between the 10th and the 11th of October 1957 resulted in the first publicised release of radioactivity to the wider environment. The cloud of contamination passed to the southeast of England before travelling northwards on the 14th of October as a result of weather fronts in Europe. Monitoring of radioactive fallout in Norway was at the time conducted by the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) using a network of air and precipitation monitoring stations. This article presents results from these monitoring activities which were originally contained in laboratory journals and a series of internal reports produced by FFI. Although mainly classified during the 1950s and 1960s, recent years have seen the incremental declassification of these reports and as the 50th anniversary of the accident approaches, a distillation and reanalysis of this information has been conducted. Results indicate that radioactivity from Windscale was first detected at Bergen and Sola in the south west of Norway and a little later at Værnes, significant amounts of radioactivity being deposited at these locations during the second and third weeks of that month. Results relating to concentrations of activity in air and precipitation and fallout levels are presented for the relevant period and discussed in relation to fallout levels in Norway during the period 1957–1960. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article offers information on the problems concerning the radioactive fallouts from nuclear testing in the U.S. The 14 Soviet atomic devices that exploded in October 1958 had doubled the quantity of radioactive debris in the earth's atmosphere. This fallout is a sharp change from the former general theory that radioactive material remained in the stratosphere for an average of 6 to 10 years. Based on a theory, the radioactive material from the polar shots will remain in the upper atmosphere only one year or less and will fall to earth in the northern hemisphere in 1959.