Page:Operation Crossroads 1946.pdf/56

 Clothing so contaminated that it read more than 0.10 R/24 hours (gamma) was placed in paper bags, and radiation was allowed to decay for a period of time before the clothing was washed. If the radiation did not decrease to less than 0.10 R/24 hours, the clothing was disposed of at sea.

After the clothing had been washed or put aside to cool, the men took a shower in the decontamination head in a designated stall with hot water, thoroughly soaping themselves with salt-water soap. They then proceeded to a second stall where they again showered with ordinary soap. The men were monitored again and if free of contamination could return to their own compartments; otherwise they continued showering (Reference B.0.12).

Commander Task Group (CTG) 1.2 set a slightly lower radiation level, 0.05 R/24 hours, above which the clothing was to be disposed of at sea. The contaminated clothing was to be bundled and weighted and the Radsafe Section was to be notified. An LCT picked up the bundles the next day and dumped them 10 nmi (18.5 km) from Bikini at sea.

Clothing in small lots was laundered in separate buckets (like the Ajax procedure above) or done in the ships' laundry if in large lots. If the ships' laundry were used, however, in the clothing had to be separately done and the laundry machinery had to be specially cleaned after use (Reference C.10.8).

Urine Testing

The discovery of alpha emitters, including plutonium, led to urine tests for personnel thought to have been exposed to determine whether any had taken these substances into their bodies. The water-testing laboratory on Haven was converted for testing urine. By 15 August, 2,600 samples had been tested. The men doing the work had to use instruments that were on hand and develop techniques as they worked. The widespread presence of radioactive material led to high background counts and made it difficult to determine whether an individual had low levels of alpha emitters in his urine. On 15 August the Radsafe Section reported slight beta activity had been found in the urine of 2,600 men checked (Reference A.12, pp. 117, 118, and 121 through 125; References C.10.9; Reference C.10.15). Despite all the concern and discussion about it, there is no indication in CROSSROADS documentation that positive alpha counts were found in any urine samples.

Eye Protection

Eye protection from the ABLE flash was a major concern. Approved darkened goggles were provided to personnel on ships 25 nmi (46 km) or less from the ABLE detonation and to all observers on the press and observer ships. Men without goggles within 30 nmi (56 km) were to turn away from surface zero, look down at the deck, close their eyes, and cover their eyes with their arm (Reference B.0.1, pp. E-I-1, E-I-2, and E-IV-2). Pilots airborne at the time of the detonation were to wear approved goggles and turn their heads away from the detonation. In addition, each copilot was to close his eyes and cover them with his arm so that he would be ready to fly the aircraft if the pilot was flash blinded (Reference B.0.1, p. F-XIII-5).

51