RADIOLOGICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS

Although radiological weapons have little or no tactical importance on the battlefield, the fear of radiation has become so widespread and ingrained that if an opponent spreads even small, harmless but detectable amounts of radioactive material in rear echelon areas, the action may force troops to don full protective garb and attempt to operate under that handicap. 

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Discuss the recognition and response to a radiological-nuclear weapon attack. 

The neutrons in a research reactor can be used for many types of scientific studies, including basic physics, radiological effects, fundamental biology, analysis of trace elements, material damage, and treatment of disease. Neutrons can also be dedicated to the production of nuclear weapons materials such as plutonium-239 from uranium-238 and tritium, H, from lithium-6. Alternatively, neutrons can be used to produce radioisotopes for medical diagnosis and treatment, for gamma irradiation sources, or for heat energy sources in space. 

Bolton s opinion was bolstered in June 2005 by Senator Richard Lu-gar s survey of 85 non-proliferation and national security analysts from the United States and other nations. It was designed in part to characterize the risks related to the terrorist use of CBRN. The survey revealed that experts believe the probability of an attack somewhere in the world with a CBRN weapon was 50% over the next five years and 70% over the next ten. An attack with a radiological weapon was seen as the most probable with the likelihood of an attack with a nuclear or biological weapon considered about half as plausible [37]. The average probability of a nuclear attack in the next ten years was nearly 30%, with experts almost evenly divided between terrorist acquisitions of a working nuclear weapon versus self-construction [37]. The average risk estimate over ten years for major chemical and biological attacks was 20%. Senator Lu-gar concluded The bottom line is this for the foreseeable future, the United States and other nations will face an existential threat from the intersection of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. ... 

For the purpose of this discussion, radiological materials that could be used in a terrorist attack are divided into three categories (1) bomb-grade nuclear material, (2) nuclear reactor fuel and associated waste products, and (3) industrial sources. Bomb-grade nuclear material includes concentrated plutonium and/or highly enriched uranium (>20% U-235) that may be used to build a nuclear weapon, assuming a terrorist group cannot or has not already secured an assembled weapon. 

The radiological impact of the Chernobyl debris compared with that from nuclear weapons fallout. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity, 6,151-62. Aarkrog, A. Lippert, J. (1971) Direct contamination of barley with 51 Cr,59Fe,58 Co, 65Zn, 203Hg and 210Pb. Radiation Botany, 11, 463-72. 

Military support to civil authorities is the final tier in the nation s disaster response system. Federal resources that may be implemented in the event of a major biochemical or radiation disaster are the U.S. Army Special Medical Augmentation Response Teams. The mission of the SMART teams is to provide short-duration medical liaison to local, state, federal, and DOD agencies responding to disasters, civil-military cooperative actions, humanitarian assistance missions, weapons of mass destruction incidents, or chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive incidents. There are 37 SMART teams, including two burn SMART teams operated by the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical... 

Algazin, A.I., Kalyado, V.B., Shoikhet, Ya.N., Demin, V.F., Zakharchenko, I.E., Ilyin, L.A., Kiselyov, V.I. and Zaitsev, E.V., Assessment of radiological consequences of the nuclear weapon tests on the Semipalatinsk test site for population of Altai region. IAEA-SM-339/46P, page 171, Vienna, Austria,... 

Because everyone is exposed to low radiation doses from natural and human-generated ionizing radiation sources during their lifetimes, it is important to understand the potential adverse effects from such exposures as well as those that could occur as a result of high-level radiation exposures associated with infrequent events such as nuclear accidents, radiotherapy for cancer, or exposure as a result of use of a radiological (dirty bomb) or nuclear weapon. 

Many people know how to respond in such disasters as fires and earthquakes, but few would know what to do if someone were to use a chemical, radiological, nuclear, or biological weapon in their vicinity. Although the characteristics of such attacks may vary widely and their likelihood is highly uncertain, they can all create unfamiliar and very dangerous circumstances. Consequently, individuals need an overall strategy they can use to prepare for and respond to such attacks. 

Detonation of an improvised or stolen nnclear weapon by terrorists is the worst-case radiological attack scenario (5). Althongh difficnlt to construct, due to requirements for sophisticated engineering and expertise, an improvised nuclear device could produce a yield similar to the Hiroshima bomb, with release or radiation, blast, thermal pulses, and radioactive fallout (1). At a minimum, a small nuclear detonation could cause damage equal or exceeding the September 11 attacks in New York City. Even if the nuclear detonation were unsuccessful, the conventional explosion associated with the device could cause significant environmental contamination with the nuclear weapons material, such as plutonium or uranium (1). 

The real threat to the survival of the nation and its people is the combination of chemical, biological, and radiological warfare agents used in a way which will complement one another. Chemical and biological warfare can be used in conjunction with radiological warfare. They can be used prior to or after the use of nuclear weapons and delivered by covert or by overt means—that is, by ordinary airplane, missile, or sabotage. Therefore, the individual protection developments must be capable of use, if possible, against all three hazards. 

Radiological hazards Nuclear power plants and refinery sites, nuclear weapons plants, storage areas, hospitals, Universities and colleges... 

Operationally Significant Level Radiation exposure that produces effects of immediate military relevance. The doses received from these exposures are comparable to those from the detonation of a nuclear weapon and are in the range of 70 cGy and above. Common effects along the radiological dose spectrum include reduced military effectiveness (beginning at 70 cGy) due to nausea and can include death at doses above 300 cGy. 

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