EFFECTS ON PERSONNEL
The injuries to personnel resulting from a nuclear
explosion are divided into three broad classes: blast
and shock injuries, burns, and ionizing radiation
effects.
Apart from the ionizing radiation effects, most of
the injuries suffered in a nuclear weapon explosion
will not differ greatly from those caused by ordinary
high explosives and incendiary bombs. An important
aspect of injuries in nuclear explosions is the
combined effect, that is, a combination of all three
types of injuries. For example, a person within the
effective range of a weapon may suffer blast injury,
burns, and also from the effects of nuclear radiation. In
this respect, radiation injury may be a complicating
factor, since it is combined with injuries due to other
sources.
Blast and Shock Wave Injuries
Injuries caused by blast can be divided into
primary (direct) blast injuries and secondary (indirect)
blast injuries.
Primary blast injuries are those that result from
the direct action of the air shock wave on the human
body. These injuries will be confined to a zone where
fatal secondary blast and thermal damage may be
anticipated. Therefore, most surviving casualties will
not have the severe injuries that result from the direct
compressive effects of the blast wave.
Secondary blast injuries are caused by collapsing
buildings and by timber and other debris flung about by
the blast.
Persons may also be hurled against
stationary objects or thrown to the ground by the high
winds accompanying the explosions.
The injuries
sustained are thus similar to those due to a mechanical
accident: bruises, concussions, cuts, fractures, and
internal injuries.
At sea, the shock wave accompanying an
underwater burst will produce various mechanical
injuries. These injuries will resemble those caused
aboard ship by more conventional underwater
weapons, such as noncontact mines and depth charges.
Instead of being localized, however, they will extend
over the entire vessel.
Equipment, furniture, gas cylinders, boxes, and
similar gear, when not well secured, can act as missiles
and cause many injuries.
Burn Injuries
A weapon detonated as an air burst may produce
more burn casualties than blast or ionizing radiation
casualties. Burns due to a nuclear explosion can also
be divided into two classes: direct and indirect burns.
Direct burns (usually called flash burns) are the result
of thermal (infrared) radiation emanating from a
nuclear explosion, while indirect burns result from
fires caused by the explosion. Biologically, they are
similar to any other burn and are treated in the same
manner.
Since all radiation travels in a straight line from its
source, flash burns are sharply limited to those areas of
the skin facing the center of the explosion.
Furthermore, clothing will protect the skin to some
degree unless the individual is so close to the center of
the explosion that the cloth is ignited spontaneously by
heat. Although light colors will absorb heat to a lesser
degree than dark colors, the thickness, air layers, and
types of clothing (wool is better than cotton) are far
more important for protection than the color of the
material.
Eye Burns
In addition to injuries to the skin, the eyes may also
be affected by thermal radiation. If people are looking
in the general direction of a nuclear detonation, they
may be flash blinded. This blindness may persist for
20 to 30 minutes.
A second and very serious type of eye injury may
also occur. If people are looking directly at the fireball
of a nuclear explosion, they may receive a retinal flash
burn similar to the burn that occurs on exposed skin.
Unfortunately, when the burn heals, the destroyed
retinal tissue is replaced by scar tissue that has no
light-perception capability, and the victims will have
scotomas, blind or partially blind areas in the visual
field. In severe cases, the net result may be permanent
blindness. The effective range for eye injuries from the
flash may extend for many miles when a weapon is
detonated as an air burst. This effective range is far
greater at night when the pupils are dilated, permitting
a greater amount of light to enter the eye.
Radiation Injuries
Radioactivity may be defined as the spontaneous
and instantaneous decomposition of the nucleus of an
unstable atom with the accompanying emission of a
particle, a gamma ray, or both. The actual particles and
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