Page:Survival Under Atomic Attack.djvu/11

 Radioactivity alone caused only about 15 percent of all deaths and injuries

If the bomb were to go off close to the ground, or slightly below its surface, the range of the explosive radiation, as well as the range of the blast and heat, would be reduced. This is due to the fact that all three would be partially blocked by the earth, by nearby buildings and by other obstacles.

In an underwater burst, there would be much less to fear from blast and nothing to fear from heat. Practically all the explosive radioactivity would be absorbed by the water. However, there would be the second type of radioactivity to be described later on.

If an atomic bomb goes off in the air within two-thirds of a mile or slightly more of your home, there is no practical way of keeping explosive radioactivity out of the above-ground part of your house. It is possible that, at very short range, artificial, or induced radioactivity could be set up in gold, silver, and many other objects. However, this kind of radioactivity will never offer great danger, so don't throw away bandages and other first aid materials in the medicine cabinet. They will be perfectly safe to use. Rh