BLAST BIOLOGY--A STUDY OF THE PRIMARY AND TERTIARY EFFECTS OF BLAST IN OPEN UNDERGROUND PROTECTIVE SHELTERS

Dogs, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice were exposed to nuclear detonatiors in two open underground pantitioned shelters. The shelters were of similar constructions and each was exposed to separate detonations. Each inner chamber filled through its own orifice; thus four separate pressure enviromments were obtained. An aerodynamic mound was placed over the escape hatch of each structure to determine its effect on the pressurecurve shape inside the chamber. In one test a sieve plate bolted across the top of the mound was evaluated. Wind protective baffles of solid plate and of heavy wire screen were installed in the shelters to compare primary and tertiary blast effects on dogs. The shelters also contained static and dynamic pressure gages, radiation detectors, telemetering devices, and, in one test, air-temperature measuring instruments, dustcollecting trays, and eight pigs for the biological assessment of thermal effects. One dog was severely injured from tertiary blast effects associated with a maximal dynamic pressure (Q) of 10.5 psi, and one was undamaged with a maximal Q of 2 psi. Primary blast effects resulting from peak overpressures of 30.3, 25.5, 9.5. and 4.1 psi were minimal. The mortality was 19 per cent of the mice exposed to a peak pressure of 30.3 psi and 5 and 3 per cent of the guinea pigs and mice exposed to a peak pressure of 25.5 psi. Many of the rabbits, guinea pigs, and mice sustained slight lung hemorrhages at maximum pressures of 25.5 and 30.3 psi. Eardrum perforation data for all species, except mice, were recorded. Following shot 2, thermal effects were noted. Animals of the groups saved for observation have died from ionizing-radiation effects. (auth