Nuclear War Survival Skills by Cresson Kearny; Edward Teller; Don Mann; Eugene Wigner

Author:Cresson Kearny; Edward Teller; Don Mann; Eugene Wigner
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: e9781510702059
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 1986-12-22T16:00:00+00:00

FALLOUT MASKS

For the majority of Americans in most fallout areas, means for filtering fallout particles out of the air they breathe would not be essential survival equipment.18 Most fallout particles tiny enough to enter one’s lungs would fall to earth so slowly that they would reach ground thousands of miles away from the explosions. By then, radioactive decay would make them much less dangerous, and their deposition would be spread out over much of the earth.

In past years American-endangering Soviet warheads typically were between 20 and one megaton. Explosions this large would inject almost all fallout particles into the stratosphere, high above rain clouds. Today thousands of deployed Soviet ICBM warheads are between 550 and 100 kilotons. (See Jane’s Weapon Systems, 1987-88.) Both surface bursts and air bursts of today’s smaller warheads would inject most of their radioactive particles into the troposphere, from whence rain-outs and snow-outs would bring huge numbers of even tiny particles to earth in “hot spots” scattered across America.

Persons living in dry, windy areas often wear dust masks and goggles to protect their noses and eyes from dust and sand particles. If fallout particles are mixed with dust and sand that is being blown into a shelter, then persons in windy areas who occupy small below-ground expedient shelters should cover their noses and mouths with several thicknesses of towels or other cloth. Those who have dust masks should wear them, especially when working outside in dry, windy weather soon after fallout deposition. Other than whole-body exposure to gamma rays, the main danger to well informed people would be from possible beta burns caused by fresh, “hot” fallout particles that would collect in nasal passageways, and from swallowed fallout particles. (Much of the material continually eliminated from the nose and throat is swallowed.) In some fallout “hot spots” a secondary danger would be breathing extremely small, “hot” fallout particles into one’s lungs, after a rain-out of tiny fallout particles from fallout clouds produced by today’s typical kiloton-range Soviet warheads. In some areas “hot” particles would be dried and blown about by the winds within hours of their deposition in rain showers.

Making a homemade dust and fallout mask is still not a high priority survival project. In normal times, it is better to buy and store good masks and goggles. The following instructions for making a homemade mask are an improved design based on a Russian design (Fig. 15.9). This mask is the best of several homemade types, and the following instructions for making and using it have been field-tested.

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