The following information is based on material by Sue Rabbitt Roff. Mortality and Morbidity of Members of the British Nuclear Veterans Association and the New Zealand Nuclear Tests Veterans Association and Their Families. Medicine Conflict and Survival. 15. Supplement 1; July-September 1999; and the McClelland Royal Commission.

EXPOSURE- HOW IT HAPPENED

Servicemen at the nuclear test sites performed a wide range of duties from clerical and administration to equipment recovery and decontamination from hot areas, to the preparation and detonation of atomic bombs. An estimated 8 000 (under 4000 remain alive today) Australian servicemen were involved in the tests.

Most of them were required as a part of their "indoctrination" to witness the detonations, often with minimal protective equipment. Some were simply ordered to face their backs to the blast and cover their eyes with their hands. They were allowed to turn around and view the mushroom cloud as it plumed into the air.

Only those considered to be at risk from radiation injury were issued with protective clothing and radiation dose badges. Most stood within a 20 km radius of the blasts, whilst air force personnel were required to fly sorties runs through the radioactive cloud. The exterior of some planes were heavily contaminated, although the McClelland Royal Commission stated that it felt that levels of radiation in the planes were probably satisfactory.

Reports also indicated that sampling by foot was conducted to measure fallout over specific areas, resulting in the substantial exposure of people (particularly to cobalt 60). At one site, numerous cobalt 60 pellets were collected by hand using tobacco tins for storage until transfer onto lead shielded trucks for air transport back to the UK. Personnel wore overalls, respirators and the like, but many received excessive radiation doses.

Other tasks that resulted in the exposure personnel included (but is not limited to):

• Cleaning contaminated buildings, removing and burying equipment that could not be decontaminated;
• Cleaning and burying equipment, plant, planes and vehicles not in buildings that could not be decontaminated. Including those in the contaminated areas and ground zero;
• Sealing contaminated areas in concrete structures where it was not possible to remove sources;
• Removal of all mounds of contaminated debris, including materials in pits in certain areas, and to rebury at Taranaki or TM101;
• Retrieval of animals and carcasses used in experimentation from the contaminated areas;
• Fencing and patrolling contaminated areas
• Disposal of solid and liquid contaminated wastes from aircraft and plant; and
• Water jet and steam cleaning of planes, motor vehicles plant, and equipment in decontamination procedures.

Some personnel were issued overalls and respirators during this time, however the potential of this apparel to ensure safety against gamma radiation is questionable.

HEALTH PROBLEMS

Many veterans experienced physical and/or psychological injuries as a result of their experiences during the test program. These problems are reflected also in the findings of survivors at the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bomb sites. In the cohort of British Nuclear Test Veterans studied, 68% of the men sampled died of cancer. 80% died before the age of 65.

Several cancer types have been implicated in survivors from the British tests including colorectal cancers, multiple myeloma, melanoma, brain cancers, lung cancer, oesophogeal cancer, leukemia variations, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and prostate cancer. The United States Government has accepted that the majority of cancers could be potentially caused by the exposure of their nuclear veterans to ionising radiation at their weapons test program.

Of non-fatal injuries, muskulo-skeletal, skin and gastrointestinal conditions accounted for 45% of all non-cancer conditions reported by BTNVA. Severe dental problems, early hair loss, hearing loss and tinnitis, musculo-skeletal conditions, burns and blistering of the skin, serious skin conditions (96% of men reported dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis), respiratory problems, heart condition and gastrointestinal conditions were reported by veterans.

Significant psychological problems were also reported by survivors of the test programs. These may have occurred in conjunction with physical injuries, and included anxiety, depression, insomnia, nightmares, and significant anger. This has led to a label called the "nuclear veterans' syndrome", which reflects severe fear and negative belief patterns that have consistently developed in veterans due to the psychological stresses imposed on the indoctrination forces.

Email: nucvet@bigpond.net.au

P.O. Box 6201 West Gosford 2250 N.S.W. Australia

Phone: (02) 4322-1777 Fax: (02) 4322-0776

© 2002, 2003 Australian Nuclear Veterans Association