RE: K-19

["Kent, Michael D." <Michael.Kent@nmcco.com>]

>Dear Rosita:

>

>The symptoms of radiation sickness were highly erroneous, especially with 

>regard to timing.  I'd also like to know what "contaminants" were on the 

>crew when they transferred boats; that didn't seem very realistic, either.

>

>

>

The contaminants would vary from the basic activated corrosion products, to the fission daughters, if the sub had defective fuel.  If they washed the sailors off topside, it might not get all contamination off, but it would help knock the levels of contamination down significantly.  The contamination come from the fact that the Submarine Captain chose the worst option, to circulate the airborne through all of the sub, not just the engine room and reactor compartment.



As towards the sickness I think it would have been pretty accurate.  For someone to go in and weld in an atmosphere that was probably well into the hundreds of degrees, that would cause the immediate redness, fatigue, and nausea.  Then, as that was starting to wear off, the radiation sickness would kick in for the double whammy.  I do not think much was known about heat stress back then, and probably could have been easily mistaken for radiation sickness.



Just my own opinion.



Michael D. Kent RRPT (ss)

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