Evening star., 1955-02-16

FOLLOWING Is the teTt OF q
statement by Leipis L. Strauss.
chairman of the Atomic En-
eroy Commission, in connec-
ton NTH the release of an
Acc report on the effects OF
ctomic "fal-out"::
At a news conference on De-
cember II, 1854. stated that
the staff of the Atomic Energy
Commission was studying the
subject Of fal1-out and expressed
the hope that information about
it would be made public at a
later date. "Fall-out" is the word
now applied to phenomenon
that follows the explosion of a
nuclear weapon. Such an expio-
sion. If the fireball touches the
surface of the earth. draws up
large amounts of materials into
the bomb cloud. These materials
subsequently, fall back to earth
as radioactive particles over a
large area, mostly down wind
and relatively close to the point
OF explosion - although the
lighter particles are carried great
distances. The main radioactiv-
ity of fall-out decreases very
rapidly with time-for the most
part. within the first hours after
the explosion. An in-the-air ex-
plosion where the fireball does
not touch the earth's surface does
not produce any serious radio
logical fall-out hazard.
Since nuclear weapons are in
possession of the USSR, the
commission believes the Ameri-
can people wish to be informed
regarding the dangers of rlucle-
ar explosions and the measures
which individuals can take to
protect themselves if an atomic
attack should ever occur. There
fore, the commission has con-
densed In the attached report
the information which can be
made public ait this time Of the
effects of the explosions of high.
yield nuciear weapons.
The following excerpts and
summarized sections contain the
highlights of the, report itself:
FALL-OUT PATTERN OF 1854
TEST IN THE PACIFIC. +
The very large thermonuclear
device tested at Bikini atoll on
March !. 1854, was detonated
on a coral island and the en-
suing fall-out contaminated an
elongated. cigar-shaped area ex-
tending approximately 22O statute
ute miles down wind and varying
in width up to 40 miles. In addi-
ton, there was contaminated
area up-wind and cross-wind
extending possibly 20 miles from
the point of detonation. Data
was collected from Is points on
five atolls located from 10 to
$50 miles down-wind generally
east from Bikini atoll. Due to
an unexpected shift in the di-
rection of the prevailing winds
in the higher attitudes, the fall
out missed the observation RATS
that had been placed farther
north previous to the test firing.
The estimated contour of the
pattern of fall-out is, therefore,,
based only In part on data OBJ
tanned from actual measure
ments and partly on calcula-
tions.
Data from this and other tests
permit estimates of casualties
which would have been suffered
within this contaminated area
If it had been populated. These
estimates assume: Cd That the
people in the area would ignore
even the most elementary pre-
cautions: f2) that they would
not take shelter but would re
main out of doors completed
exposed for about So hours: and
CD that in consequence they
would receive the maximum ex-
posure. Therefore. it will be
recognized that the estimates
which follow are what might be
termed extreme estimates since
they assume the worst possible
conditions.
On the basis OF our data from
this test and other information,
it is estimated that, following
the March /, 1854, test explosion,
there was sufficient radioactivity
in a down-wind belt about $40
miles in length and of varying
width up to 20 miles to have
seriously threatened the lives of
nearly all persons in the area
who took no protective measures.
Some distance farther from
the point of detonation, at about
l60 miles doWn-wind and along
the axis OF the ellipse. the amount
OF radioactivity would have Sc
riously threatened the lives of
about one half of the persons in
the area who took no protective
measures.
Near the outer edge of the
elIlnSa or ony,rnv;p,, tol1y I'M