Nukes

Table of Contents

• Twenty-three myths that are repeatedly heard
• Useful Figures and Tables
• Effects of Radiation on Humans
• Nuclear Survival Groups
• About the Author
• Bibliography

Examples of the Effects of Radiation on Humans

Roentgens  Duration     Total dosage of     Number that    Deaths will
per hour   of exposure  radiation received  will die       occur in
---------  -----------  ------------------  -----------    -----------

  5-10     2- 5 hours     10-  50R           none
 50        1- 4 hours     50- 200R           less than  5%  60 or more days
100        2- 4 hours    200- 400R           less than 50%  30 to 60 days
100        4- 6 hours    400- 600R           more than 50%  about one month
100        6-10 hours    600-1000R           all            less than two weeks
200 plus   3 hours plus  600R plus           all            the more intense
                                                            the radiation the
                                                            shorter the time
                                                            before death
  1.0      1 week        150R                none
  0.3      1 month       200R                none
  0.1      4 months      300R                none
  1.5      1 week        250R                 5%            3 months
  0.5      1 month       350R                 5%            6 months
  0.2      4 months      500R                 5%            9-18 months
  2.7      1 week        450R                50%            1-3 months
  0.8      1 month       600R                50%            2-6 months

Example of the Effect of Shielding

Any material can be used for shielding against radiation. Even feathers. There is nothing magical about lead. It is only the density of the material that matters. A pound of lead and a pound of feathers weigh exactly the same. But it takes a much bigger stack of feathers than it does of lead to make a pound.

Neither feathers nor lead are generally particularly cheap to obtain, so it is usually better to use some other material like dirt or concrete. The more dirt or concrete in the barrier, the greater the protection. Since concrete is more dense (heavier) it only takes about 24 inches of concrete to give the same protection as 36 inches of dirt.

Thirty-six inches (three feet) of dirt will give good protection. Five feet of dirt will give better.