What Would Happen to Simon if he was Retrieved from the Blood Ocean (using science!)
I'm not an optimist. Be warned of body horror and clinical discussion of gore/bodily harm.
According to the Iron Lung Wiki, the camera on the SM-13 submarine emits 7,800 millisieverts (7.8 Sv) per picture. For reference, a whole-body dose of 4 or 5 Sv is generally lethal within 30 days.
Although told the hull protects him, the handbook indicates this high-powered X-ray, used to see through the blood ocean, likely exposes Simon to small radiation doses with each photo.
Simon would have been exposed to a lethal dose probably around the time when he started taping the camera down.
So... let's talk about what happens to the body when you get smacked with, at the minimum, 4 Sv.
Exposure to 4 Sv (4000 mSv) of radiation, typically in a short time, causes Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), with a 50% mortality rate within 60 days without intensive medical care (which, I seriously doubt the C.O.I. has the resources for... in any capacity). The radiation causes massive cellular damage, specifically to bone marrow and the gastrointestinal tract, leading to severe nausea, vomiting, hair loss, infection, and potential death from bone marrow failure and sepsis.
The lining of the intestines breaks down, leading to severe fluid loss, infection, and... some really fucked up shit. You're basically vomiting your liquified organs out.
Following the initial sickness, a "latent" stage may occur where the patient temporarily feels better before a secondary, potentially fatal, illness phase sets in (from the CDC guidance on ARS stages.) So, he would've gotten better for a short period of time if he even managed to survive the initial phase.
Even if Simon were to, somehow, make it through this absolutely horrific shit, his immune system would just stop. Die altogether. Which is usually fatal in and of itself. I haven't even mentioned; even if he were to be exposed to something less than 4 Sv, like say, 2 Sv, he still has a 50% chance of death, on top of a 5-10% increased chance of developing cancer per Sv.
It is pretty clear that the blood on AT-5 is highly acidic and corrosive. It burns through the submarine's hull, causing it to leak, and it severely damages Simon's body by eating away at his flesh.
We need to talk about that one detail, though.
The fact that it ate through the hull. Through metal.
I'm going to assume that the Iron Lung is made of heavily-reinforced steel. An acid strong enough to burn through that is... well. Shit. I gotta break out the science mumbo jumbo for this one. Let me lock in. Science class in college is paying off right now.
To burn through steel, you need a high-concentration strong acid, typically 10–13 Molar (e.g., concentrated hydrochloric or sulphuric acid) or specialized acids like hydrofluoric acid, often requiring extended soak times. It's no shock that it only started burning holes in the sub late into the movie.
The science is a redox reaction, where acid hydrogen ions steal electrons from the iron atoms, turning solid steel into soluble metal ions, often generating hydrogen gas. So, the sub was filling up with gas most likely as it was being corroded by the ocean.
Did anyone see any bubbles coming up from the blood as it poured into the SM-13? I don't have any references for that.
Breathing high concentrations of pure hydrogen gas primarily poses a severe risk of asphyxiation by replacing oxygen in the lungs, leading to dizziness, unconsciousness, or death. Hydrogen gas is extremely also flammable and poses an explosion risk. The submarine exploding that violently checks out.
A 10–13 molar (10–13 M) acid is extremely concentrated and would cause immediate, severe third- or fourth-degree chemical burns. It causes rapid coagulation necrosis (cell death), resulting in intense pain, deep tissue destruction, black/brown leathery scabs, and potential full-thickness tissue damage.
It would have basically melted Simon, faster and worse than what we saw in the movie. But, obviously, the guy needed some plot armor to make things interesting. I don't detest a little "power of the protagonist" whimsy.
But, yeah, they would've opened up that sub and found Simon nowhere to be found.
In conclusion: holy shit.
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