What's a "dirty bomb" and what sort of environmental impact would one have?
A dirty bomb is basically a regular-old bomb wrapped in radioactive
material. Unlike a nuclear bomb, the radioactive materials in a dirty
bomb do not help make the explosion bigger. The point of a dirty bomb
is to spread radioactive particles into the air, in order to make
people worry about radiation sickness and cancer.
Dirty bombs are not designed for their killing power. Rather, they
are used to strike fear and panic into a population, and to wreak
environmental and economic havoc. A dirty bomb exploded in downtown
New York or Washington DC probably wouldn't kill very many people,
but the radioactivity it spread could shut down important areas
for weeks or even decades.
Material for these weapons is available. There are over 18,000
potential sources of industrial radiation in the United States.
These include the spent rods from nuclear power plants, the radiotherapy
materials used by hospitals and research centers, and devices used
for food irradiation. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
approximately 200 sources of radioactivity-like cobalt or cesium-are
lost, stolen or abandoned in the US each year.
Lucky for us, it is fairly difficult to make a potent dirty bomb.
Beyond needing sophisticated technical know-how in order to build
a successful particle dispersion mechanism, there is the question
of where to get the radioactive ingredients. While radioactive waste
can be found in small amounts throughout the country, large pieces
of highly radioactive materials are kept under pretty close watch.
What's more, building and transporting a highly radioactive dirty
bomb would obviously expose the engineers, bombers and anyone else
directly involved in the plot to deadly levels of radiation.
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