Before the Bomb - book review

The scientists knew of the radiation fallout hazard, and took precautions for the first atomic bomb test, Trinity, in July 1945. These precautions proved to be inadequate, as the radioactive fallout travelled beyond the expected area.

Medical research continued on these radioactive isotopes - "internal emitters". Langley's account of radioactive strontium-89 is complicated, but very telling. A fission product of uranium and plutonium, radio strontium-89, with a half-life of 51 days, taken up internally, emits Beta radiation. People with low calcium diets are more vulnerable to this, as calcium tends to prevent uptake of strontium-89. US authorities have known about this since Pecher's work in the 1940s. Hence, during the Cold War, strontium-89 was seen as a suitable weapon for use in Soviet countries, where the population's diet was generally low in calcium.

This story becomes even murkier, with the secret Project Sunshine, beginning in the 1950s. Project Sunshine's aim was to investigate the wider damaging effects of atomic bombing, beyond the immediate destruction area, including the later-term effects The project studied the long range effects of accumulating radio strontium-90, but not the effects of radio strontium-89. So, early devastating effects on the health of populations of strontium-89 were not monitored. This minimised the importance of the doses present in foods during the testing period. External Beta radiation burns also indicated internal Beta damage, but this was ignored.

In 1983 the US accepted responsibility for the radiation victims of the Marshall Islands' atomic tests. From radiation fission products taken internally, 36 conditions were accepted, including 26 types of cancer.

It is an Australian shame that this recognition has not been given to aboriginal victims. The reaction of Australian authorities has been a record of "lies, denial, racial taunts and suppression of evidence." In Project Sunshine's calculations of exposure dose to Australians, two population groups were excluded. These were: Aborigines living in remote areas around the bomb test sites, and the soldiers and others involved in the tests. In other words the two most affected groups.

A later health study continued to exclude the Aborigines, ignoring the testimony of survivors, their memory of the "Black Mist", and even of those with Beta burns. Secrecy surrounded the investigation. Professor Ernest Titterton, Chairman of the Australian Atomic Weapons Test Safety Committee, kept project information from the Committee. As he stated "I was subject to American control on information."

Volume 2 details the history of the Japanese research on radiological effects, beginning from August 7, 1945, and still continuing to this day. Professor Shimizu and a large team of others conducted very thorough surveys, finding Beta activity in soil and other samples. The US Occupational Forces confiscated the entire survey on September 2, 1945, and from then on controlled all data and reports. The US conducted a brief superficial survey, and down-graded the expertise and work of Shimizu. US public reports emphasised the blast effects of the bomb, and kept health effects classified.

80% of Hiroshima casualties were civilian. Several military installations were not targeted, and the hypocenter of the bomb area was found to be at the hospital.

The secrecy and lack of concern for the radiological effects has implications not only for the Japanese survivors, but also for the Allied troops in Japan at the time.

One limitation of the Japanese research was that "the technology they used in these surveys did not permit investigation of Alpha radiation. Alpha radiation, harmless outside the body, causes severe cell damage once taken in by breathing or swallowing. The omission of studying Alpha radiation is a serious problem for today's questions, especially about depleted uranium. Depleted uranium weapons emit alpha radiation.

This book is richly supplied with detailed evidence, with up-to-date references, which back up the author's arguments. So it is difficult to refute Langley's claim that nuclear medicine became militarised from the 1940s. The work of Dr Pecher to bring relief to terminal cancer patients was side-lined into the planning and production of radiological weapons. The early medical researchers obtained radioisotopes from the cyclotron. The Atomic Energy Commission used medicine to promote nuclear reactors. The history of radiological warfare is one of suppression of knowledge, and denial of the radiation effects.

This is not an easy book to read. One can feel weighed down by its technical detail. So, for some people, it might best find its place as a reference work

However, the detail is necessary. It is a very original idea, to explore and expose the motivations behind the Manhattan project, and behind the continuing secrecy about radiological warfare. No doubt there are many who would like to dismiss Paul Langley's book because " he is not a nuclear physicist." Langley is a former soldier, with a background of Army training and experience in the use of RADIAC instruments and radiation safety, But it is pretty hard to ignore all that well-reasoned and well-documented evidence.