SWRHLQ6r
FINAL REPORT OF OFF-SITE SURVEILLANCE
FOR
PROJECT LONGSHOT
by the
Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Public Health Service
National Center for Radiological Health
December 1968
This surveillance performed under a Memorandum of
Understanding (No. SF 54 373)
for the
U. S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
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LEGAL NOTICE
This report was prepared as an account of Government sponsored
work. Neither the United States, nor the Atomic Energy Commission,
nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission:
A. makes any warranty or representation, expressed or implied,
with respect to the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the in- '
formation contained in this report, or that the use of any information,
apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may not in-
fringe privately owned rights; or
B. assumes any liabilities with respect to the use of, or for damages
resulting from the use of any informa|;ion, apparatus, method, or pro-
cess disclosed in this report.
As used in the above, "person acting pn behalf of the Commission"
includes any employee or contractor of the Commission, or employee
of such contractor, to the extent that |»uch employee or contractor of
the Commission, or employee of such contractor prepares, dissemin-
ates, or provides access to, any information pursuant to his employ-
ment or contract with the Commission, or his employment with such
contractor.
003
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SWRHL-6r
FINAL REPORT OF OFF-SITE SURVEILLANCE
FOR
PROJECT LONGSHOT
by the
Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare
Public Health {Service
National Center for Radiological Health
December 1968
Copy No. 3
Dr. S. C. Black, Bioenvironmental
Research, SWRHL, Las Vegas, Nevada
This surveillance performed under a Memorandum of
Understanding (No. SF 54 373)
for the
U. S. ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
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INTRODUCTION
Project Longshot was an underground nuclear experiment conducted
on Amchitka Island in the Aleutian Island Chain, on October 29, 1965
at 1100 hours AST.
Part of the Vela Uniform series, Project Longshot was designed to
gather additional information on seisrnic waves generated by an under
ground nuclear detonation.
Under a Memorandum of Under standing between the U. S. Atomic
Energy Commission (AEC) and the U. S. Public Health Service (PHS)
the PHS conducted a program of radiological monitoring and environ-
mental sampling along the Aleutian Island Chain, and at selected loca-
tions on the Alaskan mainland.
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I. OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
A. EXTERNAL MEASUREMENTS
1. Ground Monitors
On the day of the event, nine monitors were standing by at the
locations listed in Table 1.
Additionally, one PHS staff member was at the Amchitka control
point and three PHS personnel were airborne in the Amchitka
area. A PHS Medical Officer was stationed on a U. S. Coast
Guard cutter which was patrolling in the vicinity of Amchitka
Island.
Each monitor was equipped with aa Eberline E-500B survey in-
strument and a Victoreen Radector Model AGB-50B-SR.
The Eberline E-500B has a range of 0 to 200 milliroentgens per
hour (mR/hr) gamma and beta-gamma detection in four scales
with an external halogen filled GM tube and a 0 to 2000 mR/hr
gamma only range from an internal Anton 302 tube.
The Radector has a range of 0. 05 to 50, 000 mR/hr gamma and
beta-gamma on two scales. This instrument employs an inert
gas ionization chamber. Errors associated with readings from
these instruments are on the order of +20%.
Table 1. Ground monitor locations, Project Longshot.
Location Number of People
Adak Is land 1
Shemyc Island 1
St. Paul Island 1
Anchorage, Alaska 6
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2. Aerial Cloud Tracking
Aerial cloud tracking was performed by a USAF C-54 aircraft
and crew with a three man PHS monitoring team.
Instrumentation for monitoring included two Precision Model 111
Standard "Scintillators", two Ebi?rline E-500B1 s and two Victoreen
Radectors. The probe of one of the Eberline instruments was
mounted in the hole below the calpin compartment in such a way
that there was only one layer of .airplane "skin" below it. The
other instruments were mounted inside the cabin of the aircraft.
In addition to the survey instruments, a multichannel pulse height
analyzer was installed in the forward portion of the cargo com-
partment. This system included a multiscaler read-out on a
strip chart and a single channel analyzer with a sealer read-out.
The detector used was a 3- by 3-inch Nal(Tl) crystal with a
3-inch photomultiplier tube.
3. Film Badges and Dosimeters
On thp day of the event, sixteen EG&G thermoluminescent dosim-
eters {TLD) and 25 DuPont 555 film badges were placed at three
film badge stations or worn by t^n PHS personnel. (See Table 2)
The DuPont type 555 film is accurate to 4-50% in the 30 to 100 mR
range, and +10% in the 100 to 2000 mR range. The lower limit of
detectability is 30 mR.
The EG&G Model 2 ThermolumiDescent Dosimeter System is a
wide range gamma dosimeter system consisting of the dosimeters,
and EG&G-designed electronic reader, and a light standard for
system calibration. The dosimeter exposure is read out and
automatically recorded as a permanent chart record.
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The TLD System is based on the thermoluminescent properties
of manganese-activated calcium fluoride. A layer of this mate-
rial is bonded to a helical heater element which is positioned in
an evacuated glass envelope. The active material "stores" a
small amount of the incident radiation by trapping electrons in
the high energy levels. The stored energy is released by heating
the active material. The released energy, in the form of light
energy, corresponds to the dose received and is converted into
an electrical signal for the chart recorder output record.
Manufacturer's specifications fojf this system are as follows:
Range 5 mR - 5000 R
Energy Independence +10% from 60 Kev to 1, 3 Mev
Accuracy +2 mR or 15% of scale read-
ing, whichever is greater
Output Graph on perforated 6 inch
strip chart recorder
Table 2. Dosimeter and film badge locations.
Location
Adak
Shemya
St. Paul
Anchorage
Total
No. of
Badges
7
6
6
6
Total No. at Film
Number of Badge Station
Dosimeters ^
Badges TLD
2
4
4
6
5
5
5
0
0
3
3
0
Number Worn
by Personnel
Badges TLD
2
1
1
6
2
1
1
6
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B. ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLING
1. Air Sampling
On the day of the event, 19 Gelman "Tempest" air samplers were
operating at locations listed in Table 3 and shown on Figure 1.
Also shown in Figure 1 are the permanent sampling stations of
the Radiation Surveillance Network administered by the PHS in
Washington, D.C.
The "Tempest" air sampler used by the SWRHL employs a Cast
Model 1550 vacuum pump driven by a General Electric 1/2 horse-
power motor. The pump runs at 1440 rpm and draws an average
flow rate of approximately 10 cfm.
The sampler is equipped to use ^ 4-inch diameter filter paper and
an MSA charcoal cartridge. Thei Air Surveillance Network employs
Whatman 541 filter paper for routine air sampling. The total
volume of air sampled is calculated from an average vacuum
reading (which in turn indicates 1;he average flow rate) and the
total time of sampling.
All air sample prefilters and charcoal cartridges were returned
to the'Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory in Las Vegas
for radiological analyses. Prefilters were counted for gross
beta activity in a Beckman "Wide Beta" low background (6 + 1 cpm
beta) proportional system -which has an efficiency of approximately
45% for 0.54 Mev betas. After an initial count, if no significant
activi :y was detected, the prefilters were counted at 5 and 12
days after collection.
All charcoal cartridges were analyzes. j.or gross gamma only,
and the results compared with normal background cartridges col-
lected at Las Vegas.
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Table 3. Air sampler locations and operating periods.
Days
Operating
10/18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
11/1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
0)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
0}
Anchor ag
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bethel
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
S
X
X
X
It)
T)
1 1
0
O
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
HO
X
X
X
X
X
Cordova
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
T
X
X
fl
G
Dillingha
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
DA
X
X
X
X
*<
o
*,
Dutch Ha:
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Y
X
Homer
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
-
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
C!
Ketchikai
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
OC
Nome
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
TO
X
X
X
X
X
Palmer
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
GO
?H
Petersbu
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
BER
X
X
X
a
0)
13
|H
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Q TEMPEST AIR SAMPLER
A PERMANENT R.S.N. STATIONS
QQPALMER
ANCHORAGE
lin-approx. I40miles
Figure 1. Air sampling station locations, Project Longshot.
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2. Milk, Water and Vegetation Samples
No milk, water or vegetation samples were collected specifically
for this event.
II. PUBLIC RELATIONS
An extensive public relations program was carried out in the two
weeks prior to Project Longshot.
Off-site personnel made appearances before civic groups, and movie
exhibitions and informal discussions were conducted on mainland
Alaska. In addition, closed circuit television interviews were held
at military installations on several of the Aleutian Islands.
in. RESULTS
All radioactivity was completely contained during Project Longshot.
No prefilters or charcoal cartridges showed any values above back-
ground levels. All TLD's were within background ranges, and all
the film budges processed showed no exposures above the limits of
detectability.
IV. CONCLUSIONS
Project Longshot produced no radioactive exposure to any off-site
resident.
8
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DISTRIBUTION
1-15 Southwestern Radiological Health Lab. , Las Vegas, Nevada
16 Robert E. Miller, Manager, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
17 R. H. Thalgott, Test Manager, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
18 Henry G. Vermillion, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
19 Chief, NOB/DASA, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
20 D. H. Edwards, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
21 D. W. Hendricks, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
22 Mail jft Records, NVOO/AEC, Lpis Vegas, Nevada
23 Martin B. Biles, DOS, USAEC, Washington, D. C.
24 Director, DMA, USAEC, Washington, D. C.
25 John !5. Kelly, DPNE, USAEC, Washington, D. C.
26 P. Allen, ARL/ESSA, NVOO/AEC, Las Vegas, Nevada
27 Gilbert J. Ferber, ARL/ESSA, (Silver Springs, Maryland
28 - 32 Charles L. Weaver, BRH , PHfii, Rockville, Maryland
33 Clifford E. Nelson, Region IX, PHS, San Francisco, Calif.
34 Bernd Kahn, BRH, RATSEC, Cipcinnati, Ohio
35 Northeastern Radiological Health Lab. , Winchester, Mass.
36 Southeastern Radiological Health Lab. , Montgomery, Alabama
37 W. C. King, LRL, Mercury, Nevada
38 John W. Gofman, LRL, Livermore, California
39 H. J. Reynolds, LRL, Livermore, California
40 Roger Batzel, LRL, Livermore, California
41 Ed Fleming, LRL, Livermore, California
42 Wm. E. Ogle, LASL, Los Alamos, New Mexico
43 Harry S. Jordan, LASL, Los Alamos, New Mexico
44 Victor M. Milligan, REECo, Mercury, Nevada
45 Clinton S. Maupin, REECo. , Mercury, Nevada
46 Byron Murphey, Sandia Corporation, Albuquerque, New Mexico
47 - 48 DTIE, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
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