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Collection ot tilter paper tram the drone plan.a• at bivetok 1nvolyed (l) Removal ot the tilter units trom the drone plan••• Bach drone carried two tilter unit ■; one on the t01> ot the tu.selage Juat back ct the pilot' a asat, and one on the bottom -or the tuealage Juet under the noH ot tran 1 t1 tilter unit to a point Juat back of the Ying. The handle of the le.nyard. vaa h.el4 at thia J)01nt in a holder attached to the tuaalage ~ the A apeo1al litt arrangement vu carried b,- truck trom. plane to plane to lirt the top tilter unit. When th1e epecial litt vae in position, one radioohemiat would approach the plane, cletaoh the la.cyard handle tram it• holder and releaee the tilter unit b;y pulling on tha le.eye.rd. 'lhe spacial lift would than carrr the tilter unit to a point about tUt7 teet from the the apeoial litt to the ground. g The bottom tilter unit Yal allowed to tall to the ground when it• lanyard we.a pulled. It ve.1 then d..ra.gged. along the ground by the lanyard to a point about tUt7 teet trom the plane. · vae held between tvo Yi.re ecreena vhich were 1n turn attached to a 1ecti0lil or the aide or the tilter unit. Kach aide eection va1 tutened to the ! rimn1ng through bole• 1n the pina. These Yiree vere all attaehad on one c> handle ao that one pull on the handle released the entire aide aeot1on. The detached paper holder vaa then oa.rried ava;y trom the main bod;r ct the tilter unit. Each filter unit contained two filter paper holder• ao that after one hold.er we.a removed it vaa neoeesar,- to turn the entire unit over
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pertoraed each part ot the operatim:L 4ur1q the oou.n• ot the collection. Th$ 1e"uence ot ennta vu u tollovaa b7 a radiochemiet and the ll)eCial litt operated b,- Air Forces peraonnel. Badiochemi ■te litte4 the f'Uter unit trom the apecial 3. The top tilter unit we.a diae.aaembled b7 a radiochemi ■ t and the Atter the l.ut plane bad landed and the :paper ru.o-red from the top unit the bottan tilter unit• vere NmOTed trc:a all ot the plane• and the tilter l>u.r1ng the coune ot tbaae operat1ona; doaimetera worn b7 each man It was found that pulling the ~ OD. ·the J].anee to release the tilter removing the tilter paper holder• tram th, tilter mute tb.emaelvee. The next higheat .•no•ure waa obtained 1n tranaterring the tll~r unite frail collecting the tilter paper troa the tilter paper hold.era. HoveTer, it uaed. Each man U1uall7 chang$d &1-on• after he had worked Yith tvo or Gilmore during tu ,-oke operation. Otherviae, the peraonnel vero the aame u tor X-%'&1'•BEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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I 1nat1tuted a change 1n the Hquenoe ot n-enta Yith the purpose ot landed, but the removal ot the tilter paper holder• and the collection ot one and one halt hour•, and conse~uentl7 the rad.i&tian tram the tilter paper at this time vu le11 b7 a taotor ot about three over vb.at it voul4 have been it the X-1"&7 procedure had been followed. In addition, the monitoring or the individual tilter papen, Vhlle the7 vere oe11:lg held 1n &bout one toot or the bolder u it reated on tb.e ground. During the 70ke operation the vork vas dirtded. Albright and I pulled the h.Dyard.8 to release the top filter unite aa the plane• landed. !hi• ferred the tilter unit from the apecial lift to the ground. Thi• operation or the tilter un1t1 (which had been the ascond hottest operation on X-rq ds:r) vaa poatponed until arter all the plenes bad Jandad. Att-er the planes hAd all landed, the top tilter unit ■ had been remOTad and were on the ground, but the units had not been diaaeeembled. and the bottom tilter uni ta vere ■till on the planes. Albright and I then valked. down the line, or these tilter unite and removed. the tilter paper holden. We then valked tram plane to plane removing the bottom tilt.er \mi ta And detaching the tilter paper hol.dera from each unit. Atter th11, ve left to lhawer and change clothea. Stanley, Se.ttizahn and Warren tolloved d.ovn. the line of tilter unit ■ and removed. the paper tram the detached. holden. Stanlq vae preaent during the X-ray operation and therefore atrate the use ot the tonga. After this 4emonetrat1on, ao1t of the tilter paper• were collected. b7 Sattizahn and Warren, Vbile Stanley mo.nitored the paper holder,. The ■ e sen ahovered and chaDged cloth.ea u aoon u the paper operat.ion, it ie pertinent to point out that the un ot toz:igs tor handlf.na The Zebra Operation. Mr. Balagna and Mr. Lang replaced Batti.sahn and Warren dur1D.g the zebra operation. Othervi•e, the i,eraomiel vere the aame
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than he cl1d during the JOU OR9ration. Sinoe all ot the men vho worked direoti.,, vith the tilt.er J&PeN during the zebra opere.tion received beta burns on their bend.a, it ia pertinent to (1) Glovea vere not ava1.lable traa the Bad Sate unit tor the Eebra operation. The glove• 1n our poseeaaion were thin cotton gloves end rubber cotton to the other men. 'l'hree doun pair ot each type ot glove• vu avail• ablo. Both LaJlg and Belagna changed glove• atter working with the tirat tvo planea. Mter this I cl14 not vatch to 1ee that the men cb.Anged their glone. (2) 1'0~""8 were not used at all b7 the men working With the tilter paper. I pointed out the tonga to the un just before t.he7 started to collect the paper, tor the ~e ot bcillg sure the men knev Where they were. almost entirely to handling the filter paper Vi thout the use ot tonge. It 1e poeeible that contwnination en the glove• !1"0%:1 bandl hig tho tilter uni ta, e.e vell aa expoeure received during the actual hend.11.ng c4 the tilter unita, contributed appreciably to the bete e.xpo8ure. AC>Vever, it should be emphaperiod.a than the other men did. It ie true the.t ve chenged glove& tre-.uentchanged their cloth.ea. Bo aurrey waa ~ c,t olothea llntil atter this change. on the sample planea. The monitor alao checked m;r baz:M1.s. lo appreciable lBEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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Removal ot t1lter paper from pe.per holder. JIBEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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taken to Loa Alamo• Laboratoey tor anal79ia. • IBEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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ot filter ae.mples trom the unite mounted on tho drone plane•, which operahoi1t had lowered it from the top or the plane. ~ aecond ma.nipul&tion paper in a 1u.itable lead. container. The time consumed tor each operation vae in the range or fifteen 1econde end the total number ot operation• Medium veis}lt green cotton gloves vers used at all times. Two feet long tongs vere available ror our use in grasping the tilter paper, but the preaanoe of a ra1rly etrons v1nd mad.e the ~sping of the paper eo:aevhat precarious. I choso not to uss the tonga tor th11 reason. Later evtmts seemed to have proven thia choice inJudicious. A:tter ret\tl"niD.g to Loe Alamoa no immediate 1nJU%'7 to the hand vas noticed. A,pproximatel7 one veek le.tar the ind.ax fillger and the middle finger of the lert h8.M ahoved. a alight reddeniug. On WiY ll, twelve daya after •~8Ul'e 1 I had. mJ' hand exam1ne4 b;y the medical group. Blood counts were taken on Mey 14 and 15. On )by' 16 &long vi th the men trC111 the third teat I vae adm.1.tt&d to the hospital. On May- 28 the band vaa eu!ticiently ue. On June 3 I returned. to work.
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hand vu ot a t,pe I bad not ..en before, and I auggeated to Mr. checked and a blood count taken on the aame da.J' a:o4 another blood count Knowlton, vho did not believe that the inJur;y vu a radiation burn. So tar u I know the doctora did not consider the bum a radiation burn until the arriftl or Balagne, Lang and 8tanle7 with obrloua
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I have bean intending to vr1te to ,-ou tor eome time to tel l 7ou about the progree1 ot patient, vith the bsta rq burns. I Yill not go into allot the details, a• I hope to lhov 70U our colored photographs acme day. 11m1te<1 to the tirat three tingers or the lett hand. The7 began to blister about the tourteenth ~, roached their peak about tM tvent;r-tourth day, and etarted to des-iuamate about the thirtieth d.ay. The now ep1thttlium seeme to be pertectl7 good, and as ot tod.q 70u cannot tell nev rrom old The three other men, expoeed tvo vuks later, ehoved. much more e.xtensiTe involvement or tingera and pal.me. Onl7 the lart hand or one of these psrsona va1 injured. but both hand.a or the ether• were damaged., the lett hand ot each more 1everel7 than the right in each case. Al.l lhoved nelling the second d.e.7, erythema the third day, two ahoved blister, &bout the sixth dq, and the third, vho had vecy thick akin on the pal.ma ot hie hand.a, ahoved no ligna or blisters until about the tenth da,-. All or the blister ■ which tir1t :tormed aeparately, gradualq coleeaed to torm one blister on each hand.. Tvo ot the pa.tient1 shoved the pealt or the reaction a.bout the tvent,"- titth day. The third shoved th.a greate1t reaction about the thirtieth day. the dead epithelium. We tinal.17 removed the dead Kin leTeral da7• ago, which, until recently, bad tormed a good proteotiTe ooat. After debridement, · area, but there vere atill tairl,- large area.a covered. b7 a Ter, thin epithelium. The eecond boy ehoved less epitheliu.tion and aore granulation tiseue which a:ppe&red quite health;, except tor a emal.l area~ size ot a dime on the firet finger ot the lett hand. Tb.11 area. vaa 4.rT, vh1 te and apparentl7 necrotic. The third boy, vhoae injury 1• lillited to the left hand, appe.rentl.7 shoved deeper 1nvo1Tement vith vnite dr)" necroeie ot the superficial tissues. Un1"ortunatel7 I did not aee ~ lesion a~ the operation ao I don't know the c1et.a1la.
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Dr. Bobert Stone, June 28, 19',8, page 2 the tingera vaa good, but ve observed thraabosie, dilatation, and 'tortuosit7 in the capill.ar,- yeaaela at the base or the f'inger nails. I have given the above trom aemo17, 80 the data 'IDll7 not be entirel7 accurate. Shields Warren vaa bore recently and he ve.nta ue to publiah the cue a atter a eb: month' a toll ow-up. I would like Yer,- much to g1ve 7fN. a prertev ot our excellent aeries of colored photograph.a. I learned eeTeral things trom tolloving the cues. Tho most interesting ie that, beta rq burna cen look a lot like a bl'Uise. The tiret one vae completenot thlllk radiation burns could occur. It Ya8 interesting to correle.te changes in blood count vith the visible da;y-b~ progress ot lesions. Let me apologize again tor dieturoing 7ou S\.Uld.aJ' e.tt4I'lloon eix weeks ago, and thank 7ou tor your ad.vice and reassurance. After the bandages a.re remOT"ed this week I hope I will reel u opt1.m.1atic aa you vere when I COPY )~BEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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FM CTO SEVEB PODT ONE STUDDZ INDICAT3D. FROMAN CONCURS AND fiOULD LEAVE liA.~DLINC OF OTHER CASES TO YOUR DISCR3TICJ;. ,1BEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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711 DIR LA SCI LAB LOO '1.l»JS JiM&X T.l~EI 1008 AND CAN YOO SEND US SAli!PLES OF THE RUBBER GLOVES, WBITE COTTON Al3·m' THIS BOT IOOLD LIKE TO 11AVr: nus INr.JRYJ.TlON IF P<ESIBLE IN ORDER ro FROU cro SEVEN POINT ORE (4)BEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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SEOIS BLISnRS ON FIRST, SECOND, TBIRD FINGSRS OF LEFT MAND BUT REACTION BLISTER FOPJMTION CHIEFLY ON LEFT ~- WG'S LOCAL LESIONS APPUR aacm IBEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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'lhe iDJuriea ccmsiat or akin dpage limited to the bands. The general condition ot all men ia excellent. There are no blood changes or other indications that they received a aerious amount ot total b~ gamma radiation. It ahou.ld be pointed out that betathan gamma. radiation injuries-. All men are under treatment at the Thia 1..m'ormation is tor the use ot La.boratoI7 personnel only. Health Diri ■ ion COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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t 1·t• that h'om the 8'lllk Vhich vu on the tilter unit• am Vhich got on w j :'~v :~,~robable that the gunk vae rubbed. ott, due to active ue ot the J"isht · on the tirat drone that cue in, he tou.nd it nece•AJ7 to ftJDOft hi• left glove, that ia, the ootton and rubber gl.OTe together, after eich be pu.t on onl;r a cotton glon. Be remond the tir■t Nt ot gl.orea beoaua, ot a and replaced tha ap1n Yith the oombinatiOll ot nibber and aottcm &1-on1. Concerning the oaee ot Sattisahn, he report• that be were green available. Joth Balagna and Lang claimed that tha7 d.e•ired \0 ohance A.BEST AVAILABLE COPYBEST AVAILABLE COPY
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prnioua ahot that the glcrea ot peraonnel became hot. • • ·. Preeebcs or gunk on the gloves ot these personnel account ■ tor toward the pela or the hand. One bu d.11'ficult7 1n ■eeing how such a dose could be clelinred b7 the bendl1ng or the tilter papere. All four indivicluale named &bO"le aent10%1ed seeing tongs tor handling the filter paper; the7 also aeutioned the fact that the7 handled the filter papers rather 1.ndieerim.1nately although the7 Vere an.re that there vae a quarter inch dead epaee on the peripheey or each or these tilter papers. The tilter rather 1nd1•cr1m1.natel,-, it ie hard to eoe hav a austainsd. beta d.oaage to auetained length ot tilae. And 11" mq act1Tit7 had come ott the pe.pe.r it vould baye caused burns on the ends ot the index tingen and thumb a. In their accounta ot their vork Balegna pointed out, for inate.nce, that the7 Jmeeled dovn to pick up the tvo pieces of tilter paper f'rom each tilter unit and stapled them together. · One person held the tvo papers a.t the ehort ends Vith both hie hands Vhile the other person used the ord.inat7 kind ot stapler to pin them together. It 1a, theref'ore, probable that the tacea ot these people vere on the order ot half' a meter h'om the hot tilter paper eurtace. The filter paper u a •~urce ot radiation tor the hand.a ia to be contrasted vi th the gunk which obTioualJ atuck to the cotton gloves and remained t'airlJ' close to the akin surface at all timea. A final vord concerning the position or thi ■ gunk on the tilter mrl.ta: Apparentl,7 it vu located on the 1nne.r vall ot the tilter unit, eo that vben the men took hold or the unite to lift them through the ground the gunk etuck to the inner aurtace or the glove. Io one mentioned. aeeing thi ■ black gunk an the white tlltera.. Lang upreeeed the opinion that it vaa not vet or oll7 but rather vaa IIOOtT. down tour ot the upper t'ilter unite having on rubber and cotton glOTes. lie then removed the gloves and …
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