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EXPOSURE
CRITERIA CONSIDERED DURING THE AUSTRALIAN TESTS
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TOTEM
The exposure of people for fallout was considered through the following pathways;
- External radiation from fission products spread on the ground.
- Deposition activity on the skin.
- Direct deposition in drinking water tanks.
- Deposition in the catchments of reservoirs used for drinking.
- Deposition on food items eaten.
- Dose to animals from pastures eaten.
- Inhalation of cloud materials before deposition.
- Inhalation of dust raised after initial deposition and
- Injection into cuts and abrasions.
During the Australian test series, indigenous people and service personnel were exposed to radiation in these ways. The above pathways did not consider the unique lifestyle of many of the indigenous people of the area. As a result indigenous Australians were subject to on-going exposure to radiation due to their direct and continual contact with the natural environment.
|
Risk Level |
1 hour |
6 hours |
12 hours |
18 hours |
|
Zero Risk |
5.3 |
10.7 |
12.1 |
13.6 |
|
Slight Risk |
37.0 |
68.0 |
83.0 |
103.0 |
Table Totem 1: Recommended maximum Contamination Levels (mCi/m2) for exposure at the beginning or at various times after the explosion. Source McClelland Royal Commission.
BUFFALO
The Buffalo series were to be fired under safe conditions as defined by the AWRE Report 0-41/55 dated October 1955 and its Appendix dated 3 April 1956. The report defined two levels:
Level A: that level which will not give rise to any observable effects on the body.
Level B: that level which could cause a small observable effect such as slight temporary sickness in a few people who had a low threshold to radiation exposure. The proportion would be a fraction on one percent.
It was stated by the radiation Safety Committee that aborigines were to be protected to Level A standards. Rain criteria were also established to prevent mist or rain contamination. Additionally a request for a once only dose to be given was made based on maps given to the British Government. Safe firing conditions were established to ensure protection of the environment and people.
ANTLER
Exposure standards were set at:
Level A: is the level where people living under civilised conditions will show no observable effects;
Level A' is that level where people living under primitive conditions will show no observable effects.
Level B is that level which may give a corresponding slight observable effect such as temporary slight sickness in a small percentage of civilised people;
Level B' was the same for primitive people.
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Exposure Starting at |
1 hour |
6 hours |
12 hours |
18 hours |
24 hours |
60 hours |
|
Level A |
13 |
30 |
45 |
61 |
77 |
150 |
|
Level A' |
4.6 |
7.7 |
9.3 |
11 |
12 |
17 |
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Level B |
120 |
270 |
410 |
560 |
690 |
1350 |
|
Level B' |
62 |
98 |
120 |
140 |
150 |
220 |
Table Antler 1: Maximum levels of contamination (mCi/m2) for exposure beginning at various times after firing. Source McClelland Royal Commission.
Observable effects were based on short term monitoring, and did not take into account considerations of the consequence of long-term low-level environmental exposure.
ANVA National President Ric Johnstone
Email: nucvet@bigpond.net.au
P.O. Box 6201 -- West Gosford 2250 -- N.S.W., Australia
Phone: (02) 4322-1777 -- Fax: (02) 4322-0776