Ae wT-1213 2: ies AEC Category: HEALTH AN Operation TEAPOT NEVADA TEST SITE Military Categories: 5-80 and 5-1 _ February—May 1955 (iaRD COPY §. 7.2 [MICROFICHE $. AD611316 ° Project 32.2a THE &FFECT OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON COMMERCIALLY PACKAGED BEVERAGES Issuance Date: Jansary 24,1957 DoC MARL 1965 SUT Ts ODC-IRAThis report u published in the interest of providing information which may prove of value to the reader in his stuuy of effectedata derives princwvally from nuclear weapons ‘This document {2 based on information available at the tume of preparation which may have subsequently been expanded and re-evaluated, Also, in preparing ts report for publication, some clasified material may have deca removed, Users ate cautioned to avoid interpretations and conclusions based on uaknow of incomplete data. Avallable from the Office of Technical Services, Departiment of Commerce, Washington 28, D.C.wri Report to the Test Director THE EFFECT OF NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON COMMERCIALLY PACKAGED BEVERAGES By ’ E. Rolland McConnell ‘ Cn Manutactrers Insttate George 0. Sampson Joho M. Sharf Glass Container Manatactorers Inssute Approved by: EDWIN P, LAUG ‘Approved by: ROBERT L. CORSBIE Director, Program 32 Director Civil Effects Test Group Federal Civil Defense Administration Battle Crock, MlehiganABSTRACT ‘The plans for Operation Teapot, at the Nevada Proving Grounds during 1985, included a series of Civil Effects Tests, one of which, Project 92.2, covered the exposure of packaged food products. As this project developed, it was expanded to cover representative commer- cially packaged beverages, such as soft drinks and beer, in glass bottles and metal cans, Pre- liminary experimental results were obtained from Lest layouts exposed io a detonation of ap- Provimately nominal yield. Extensive test I1youts were subsequently exposed during Operation “Cue, of 50 per cent greater than nominal yield, at var, ing distances from Gcound Zero. These commercially packaged soft drinks and beer in glass bottles or metal cans survived the blast overpressures even as close as 1270 ft {rom Ground Zero, and at more remote distances, with most failures being caused by flying missiles, crushing by surrounding structures, or dis~ lodyment from shelves. Induced radioactivity, subsequently measured on representative sam- ples, was not great in either solt drinks or beer, even at the forward positions, and these beverages could be used as potable water sources for immediate emergency purposes as soon, as the storage ares 1s safe to enter after a nuclear explosion. Although containers showed some induced radioactivity, none of this activity was transferred to the contents. Some flaver change was found in the beverages by taste panels, more in beer than in soft drinks, bot was insufficient to detract from thes pot al usage as emergency supplies of potable water.CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT =. Boe Cl CHAPTER 1 OBJECTIVE : : : - oe? CHAPTER 2. EXPERIMENTAL et CHAPTERS RESULTS... a. 1“ 3.1 Physical Effects. foe — 3.2. Induced Radiosetivity oe rststé“—( tC 3.3 Organoleptic Changes. 5 oe. la CHAPTER 4 SUMMARY . : Be ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER 2 EXPERIMENTAL, 2.1 Representative Soft Drink Boitles Exposed to Nuclear Explosions a 2.2 Representative Beer Bottles Exposed to Nuclear Explosions. 8 tt 23. Representative Soft Drink and Beer Cans Exposed to Nuclear Explosicns + 12 2.4 Layout of Beverage Samples Buried in Loose Soil at 0.2 Mile from G2, Shott . 2 2.8 Layout of Beverage Samples Placed in Loose Surface Soll at 0.7 Mile from GZ, Shot 1. . 3 2.6 Layout of Beverage Samples Placed on Desert Floor at 1 Mie from 62, Shot 1 fo 4 a 13 CHAPTER 3 RESULTS 3.1, Missile Perforation of Containers Exposed During Shot... AT TABLES CHAPTER 2. EXPERIMENTAL 2.4 Representative Beverage Cans and Bottles Exposed to Nuciear Explosions. 9 2.2. Location of Beverage Samp'es Expcsed During Shot! . 8 2.3 Location of Beverage Samples {or Exposure During Shot 1 ||) 40 5CHAPTER 1 OBJECTIVE ‘The original plans for Project 32.2, Operation Teapot, primarily covered a variety of packaged food products, not specifically Including beverages. However, consideration of the Problems of food supply show that the needs of hi-mans for water, especially under disaster conditions, could be immediate and urgent. At varlous times some consideration has been given to special packa,7ing of plain potable water, but since packaged beverages, both beer and soft drinks, are #o ubiquitous and already uniformly available in urban areas, it is obvious that they could Serve as an important source of fuids. t Since no beverages such as beer and soft drinks were included in the original procureraent plans, after discussions during the early fleld work at the Nevada Test Site, packaged bever- ages Were obtaized locally for a first layout during one of the earlier explosions, identified for purposes of this report as Shot I. The yield of Shot I was approximately nominal (a nominal atomte bomb has an energy release equivalent to 20 kilotons of TNT). The results were en= couraging and led to a second layout for tests during Operation Cue, the Federal Civil Defense Adininistration program for the open shot of Operation Teapet. The yield of the open stot (iden= ‘fied in this report as Shot II} was approximately 80 per cent greater than nominal, A selec ton of beverages in a variety of cans and glass containers was studied under critical conditions of nuclear explosions at varying distances from Ground Zero (GZ), with particular attention {0 blast effects, the subsequent levels of induced radioactivity, and the ultimate potability.CHATTER 2 EXPERIMENTAL ‘Two lots of beer and soft drinks in both cans and bottles, covering a typical renge of com- mercial products, were exposed (ser Figs, 2.4 to 2.3), The first lot was placed in several lay- outs For testing during Shot I (Pigs, 2.4 to 2.6). ‘The container types, contents, and ositioning are covered in Tables 2.1 aud 2.2, The second lot was exposed during Shot Il in a variety of Jocasions similar to the other packaged foods of Program 32.2 and is itemized in Table 2.3. ‘These tables also indicate container code designation, distance from GZ, and special exposure ‘situations, Full instrumentation for gamma and neutron flux was obiained for distances up (o 2 miles from GZ. Upon recovery, the Induced rodioactivity was measured in both the product and container by beta-gamms survey meters and by scintillation scalvrs seanning samples of the beverage placed in stainless stec! planchette:‘Table 2.1 “REPRESENTATIVE BEVERAGE CANS AND DOTTLES EXDOSED TO NUCLEAR EXP!OSIONS Metal Cau Types 1, 1241 or, com top erosneds contents soft drinks 242 tur, fat tops contents sult drinks 2.12 M1.Ge, fat top; contents beer 416th on, Mat to, contents Woe Gass vote Types (Crim close) 1. 28 un, clear returnable; contents carbonated water 2. 42 on, clear retarnabl.; contents cola type solt dnl 5. T Moz, green returnable; contents lemon soa tyFe soft drink 4 Gil on, green returnable; contents cola type sof rink 5. 6 fos, clear returnable, contents carbonated water 6. 1211s, amber export returnable; contents beer 1. 12 floz, amber mxport L-rip, contents Beer 8. 12 for, clear returnable; cimtents beer 8. 12 fon, clear Strip, contents beer 40, 121 ox, amber stubby f-trip; contents beer 11. 12 flor, green ave-ahape Tateips contents ale Note: The bottled beer and ale samples weee paper wrapped In pairs to exclude light daring the layout period on the desert before he test explosion, n the early investigation All test beverages curing Shot Il were exposed In closed shipping ‘Table 2.2-—LOCATION OF BEVERAGE SAMPLES EXPOSED DURING SHOT 1 Position A (0.2 mile trom G2) 4. Butles buried, crown upright (In, coverage) 2. Cans buried, top uprigh: (nin. coverage) Rattles buried, on side 4-tn, coverage) 4 Cans buried, on side (In. coverage) Position 1 (0.7 mile from C2) 4, Bottles laid on loose earth, erown toward G2, 2. Baltes laid on loose earth, base down at 45° an 3. Cans tald on foose earth, bottom toward GZ 44. Botts bedded in loose earth, crowns toward GZ, 5. Bolles bedded in loose earth, bases toward GZ. (Cans bedded in loose earth, bottoms toward OZ Cans bedi In Toose arth In upright positon, top up Position C(t mite fro: G2) 4, Belttes tad on stony earth, bases toward GZ 2. Cans latd on tony earth, botim toward GZ. 3. Bottles lad on stony earth, crowns toward GZ 4 Cans upright on stony earth‘Tinte 2.3 LOCATION OF LEVERAGE SAMPLES FOR EXPOSURE DURING SHOT 1 fon drinks c © 2 5 2 2 x ® & 2k 2 BOO ® Soe roe ‘6 e ' foe ow F (oe Ge € era " GoD Concrete setter, 2.280 ew fn theo » CHG ooo z a € a u tore Briex bose, 4300 Po Tatehen reieigertor Cee ks E oe ae ® 2 6 or a po Proeas conerete sous, 4.700 So ee ‘tchen antven mo ee rr) 208 8 3 8 te frame toute, ee tchen ehelvon Boe tk fe amor 2 7g 2 RO Wate tame house, 5.300 oe ascent aelves Woe ee aoF for 3 3 @ Surticetayoxt fee ee Benton baling, ee fon thelves to oh ft Mw ot ek 8 ek coe soa 6 oe are’ aon oD rr) ea 8 toe oF Denton attain, em A om melee i se oc re) fw e 20 OR alterations may well be considered as equivalent in most respeete to “aging” and were not found to detract from the potential usage of these beverages for emergency supplies of potable water.