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As mentioned earlier in the lesson, nuclear weapons have the ability to contaminate the air, water, and soil in the areas where they are used with radioactive material. In a sense, the fallout from a nuclear weapon can in itself be regarded as a weapon. Radiological weapons, sometimes called “dirty bombs” or radioactive dispersal devices, spread radioactive material when detonated, contaminating the area where they explode. These weapons use the same types of agents as nuclear weapons but do not employ fission or fusion processes.

A radiological weapon would not cause the same catastrophic levels of death and injury that a fission or fusion bomb would. However, its use could cause significant short-and long-term health problems for those directly exposed to it. Harmful gamma rays would be produced that could penetrate human skin and potentially cause cellular damage. In addition, it could greatly damage the area’s infrastructure, with the evacuation, relocation, and decontamination necessary afterwards potentially costing billions of dollars. In the case of a serious radiological attack, entire buildings may have to be demolished. Contaminated areas would have to be placed off-limits for years.

 

The agents needed to build such a weapon are more difficult to obtain than those used to build chemical and biological weapons, but they are available from a variety of sources. Radioactive sources can be found in thousands of commercial, industrial, medical and research sites throughout the world. Radiological material is used in many industrial settings, including in X-ray machines, well-logging devices, and other measuring instruments. Isotopes such as cesium-137, cobalt-60 and iridium-192 are widely used in life-saving cancer treatments and blood transfusions—and they can also be used to build deadly weapons.

In many cases, the medical, commercial and industrial groups that handle these materials do not secure them properly. In addition, many countries lack regulatory controls regarding radioactive substances, which have led to thousands of missing or stolen radiological sources. In the United States, facilities must be licensed to use or store radioactive material and to secure it from theft and unauthorized access. Lost or stolen radioactive material must be reported immediately, and local authorities are required to prioritize the effort to find and retrieve such sources.

 

Radiological Weapons

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