Radiation casualties in a nuclear war

Knowledge of the consequences of acute radiation syndromes when the dose rate and energy form are known is contrasted with the many uncertainties involved in predicting long-term radiation effects from fallout in a natural setting. Dose rates to man or the environment will vary with the numbers and types of weapons, the height of burst, the parameters of the explosion, the types and structures of buildings involved, time of day, weather, presence or absence of sheltering, availability of immediate decontamination procedures, interactions with food, housing, and sanitation, and finally, synergistic effects with other stresses