Accession Number:

ADA995326

Title:

OPERATION TEAPOT, Nevada Test Site, February-May 1955. Project 33.2. The Effects of Noise in Blast-Resistant Shelters

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

SANDIA CORP ALBUQUERQUE NM

Personal Author(s):

• Hirsch, F. G.
• Longhurst, Joan
• McGiboney, D. R.
• Sander, H. H.

Report Date:

1956-05-01

Pagination or Media Count:

44.0

Abstract:

A fatigue syndrome has been observed to develop in animals that experience a nuclear explosion while confined in a blast-resistant shelter. In order to determine the importance of noise as a contributing factor, groups of deafened and nondeafened albino male rats were placed in blast-resistant shelters on two explosions of the Operation Teapot series. Noise measurements were made which showed that noise intensities reached a level as high as 181 db, but only for durations of 35 msec. No differences were found between the deafened and nondeafened rats in the postshot experimental tests. It was concluded that noise in this particular instance was not a parameter of importance in the etiology of fatigue. Many of the animals received significant doses of ionizing radiation. This affected the learning performance of the untrained animals however, it did not affect the retention of a learned response in the case of the animals that had been trained prior to the explosion. Despite the fact that these trained rats were very ill, they continued to perform the discriminatory act without error.

Descriptors:

• *BLAST RESISTANT SHELTERS
• NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
• MEASUREMENT
• RATS
• TRAINING
• RESISTANCE
• SHELTERS
• ANIMALS
• NOISE
• ALBINISM
• NEVADA
• IONIZING RADIATION
• TEST FACILITIES
• BLAST
• MALES
• FATIGUE
• EXPLOSIONS
• SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
• ETIOLOGY
• ILLNESS
• DOSAGE

Subject Categories:

• Weapons Effects (Biological)

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE