1. Dirty Bombs

2. Radioactive Weapons
Atomic bombs, such as those dropped over Japan in World War II, involve nuclear reactions and produce a sudden intense radiation exposure and large amounts of radiation contamination.
“Dirty bombs” are regular bombs which do not involve nuclear reactions, but contain radioactive material which can be dispersed by the explosion of the bomb.
These weapons are NOT the same! Even though both contain radioactive material, the amount of the damage and exposure they produce are different by many orders of magnitude.

3. ATOMIC BOMB Blast can wipe out square miles area
High initial neutron and gamma radiation
Radioactive materials are mixed with debris which comes up from the blast
Fallout of radioactive debris over a large area
Large City

4. Dangerous levels of radiation will be travel meters rather than miles
Dirty BOMB
1 City Block
Blast is not nuclear and is limited to size of explosive
1 City Block
Dangerous levels of radiation will be travel meters rather than miles
Fallout will be limited to the amount of radioactive substance contained in the bomb and dispersed by the explosion.
Large City

5. RADIATION Atomic Bombs Large lethal Radiation Zone(miles)
Atmospheric fallout (global)
High Risk
Dirty Bombs
Very small lethal radiation zone (ft)
Limited fallout (local)
Minimal Risk

6. Problems with Dirty Bombs
1. Panic
2. Clean-up Costs $$$
3. Health Effects

7. Problems with Dirty Bombs
1. DON’T Panic
Dose decreases rapidly with time and distance from the bomb- leave the area quickly
Shielding is an effective protection- take cover and cover as much of your skin as possible.
Knowledge can help put risk and fear into perspective

8. Problems with Dirty Bombs
2. Clean-up Costs do not
need to be outrageous $$$
No health effects have been seen up to 30 times background level
The contamination site is limited, and could be cleaned up to near background level.
Will the public perception on the risk for exposure to ionizing radiation be altered by the research conducted in the low dose radiation research program? This is a very difficult question. The goals of the program are to improve the public understanding of how radiation produces health effects. This may help put risk and fear of exposure to low doses of radiation into perspective. The establishment of a scientific basis for the setting of standards will help the public evaluate if the standards are appropriate and adequate for their protection. The final hope is that the uncertainty associated with the level of risk for induction of radiation related disease will be decreased as the result of this research. As the uncertainty decreases, the public’s ability to evaluate radiation standards will increase.

9. Problems with Dirty Bombs
3. Health Effects from a dirty bomb are much greater from the blast of the bomb than from the radiation involved.

10. Sources of Damage from a Dirty Bomb
Blast
External Radiation
Depends on material
Can be shielded
Internally Deposited Radioactive Material
Must be inhaled or ingested

11. “Radiation Pill” Doesn’t protect from blast
Potassium Iodide “pills” offer partial protection against thyroid cancer if given very early in the exposure. They limit the amount of radioactive Iodine131 that can be deposited in the thyroid gland.
Doesn’t protect from blast
Doesn’t protect from external exposure
Doesn’t protect from other radioactive material
Doesn’t protect from other cancers
There is no effective “radiation pill”

12. Dirty Bombs Knowledge can help put risk and fear into perspective
For more information:
Nancy Riese Daly, M.S. M.P.H.
Director of Government Relations
12500 Fair Lakes Circle
Suite 375
Fairfax VA
ww.astro.org