"A risk assessment of the Piql Services" by FFI

9.1.10

Nuclear Radiation

We now move our attention over to the risks presented by different types of radiation: nuclear, electromagnetic and ultraviolet radiation. In the scenario describing the consequences of a nuclear detonation, we briefly touched upon the effects of nuclear high-energy radiation on the piqlFilm. The scenario was included to illustrate the vulnerability of the Piql Preservation Services to its surroundings, emphasising that in such a scenario, there is little the Piql partner can do: As the piqlVault is stored within the air blast and thermal radiation radius of ground zero, the Piql Preservation Services is annihilated along with everything else [50]. Such a scenario illustrates the uncertain future of the system, as we have to think 500 years ahead. Still, we thought it sensible to also image a slightly different scenario: one, in which the piqlFilms are located just outside of the thermal radiation radius, i.e. just out of reach of the destruction caused by the detonation but instead exposed to the maximum amount of radiation from the radioactive fallout. In this setting, the piqlFilms would suffer exposure to high-energy radioactive fallout over a long period of time. The plastic materials in both the piqlBox and the piqlFilms are affected by this exposure to radiation, but not to the extent one might expect. The PET of the piqlFilm will harden and develop small cracks under irradiation, but the effects are barely significant. The PET is less sensitive than the PP of the piqlBox, which will become brittle and lose all of its elongation and almost all of its tensile strength due to the high-energy nuclear radiation, necessitating their replacement [51]. Neither is the gelatine in the emulsion layer affected as negatively as one might imagine. As a protein, it would require quite high dosages of the ionising radiation to cause visible or notable radiation damage to the gelatine [52, 53]. In fact, it would seem that the gelatine could survive such high levels of radiation that, if ionising radiation was the only threat this close to the ground zero, it would survive just outside the radius where the initial radiation is at its highest after the detonation. However, that is obviously not the case. Even if the data is not lost due to the high levels of radiation, it would still be destroyed by either the air pressure from the initial blast, the heat wave or the ensuing fire caused by the firestorm which could burn the building housing the piqlVault to the ground. Outside of the thermal radiation radius, however, where the piqlFilm is merely exposed to radioactive fallout, the radiation levels are not high enough to have a noteworthy effect on the emulsion layer [54]. The piqlFilm should, in other words, survive a nuclear detonation if the distance to ground zero is such that the air blast and firestorm does not destroy it. Electromagnetic radiation, or electromagnetic pulses (EMP), on the other hand, will have no influence on the piqlBox or piqlFilm. In a weaponised form, EMP can be referred to as High Power Microwave (HPM), which emits at short bur of high intensity energy [55]. This can disable or destroy electrical equipment, but it will have no effects on plastics. The piqlBox and the information of the piqlFilm are, in other words, safe from harm, but the piqlVault and piqlVault system fare worse. Electronic security measures present in and around the piqlVault will be affected. Documented effects include alarms being deactivated, electronic locks being 9.1.11 Electromagnetic Radiation

77

FFI-RAPPORT 16/00707