Dangers of a Dirty Bomb: A Real threat or not?

A dirty bomb, one type of Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD), is an amalgamation of explosives such as dynamite and radioactive powder [1]. It should not be misconstrued as an atomic or nuclear bomb. The blast caused by such a bomb is not equivalent to those resulting due to atomic attacks like in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. The area of coverage is limited and the effect of radiation is restricted to the blast site. The material bursting out during the explosion is much more life-threatening than the level of radiation itself. Only people in close proximity to the area will be severely exposed to radiation unlike in the case of a nuclear bomb wherein radiation spreads like an intractable wildfire.

Mechanism Used

The vital objective to use a dirty bomb is to create a sense of fear or panic among the local population. Scientific studies have pointed out that the intention is to disperse radioactive material into a small and localized area. Only the area where the bomb exploded gets contaminated which has to be properly washed to destroy traces of both radioactive and non-radioactive shrapnel and radioactive dust. Therefore, dirty bombs can be called 'weapons of mass disruption' with a target to make people anxious and destroy public infrastructure [2]. The radioactive material laced in dirty bombs is equivalent to radioactive products used in cancer therapy, therefore, the availability comes in handy. Miscreants can use such material meant for medical purposes and add it to explosives resulting in physical and biological hazards.

The level of contamination in a particular area depends on certain factors including the size and weight of the explosive used, the amount and type of radioactive material inserted, and weather conditions [3]. The last factor remains highly significant, although the explosion is considered to be localized, if the weather at the time of the outburst is windy then it will result in larger damage. Hence, people even several kilometers away will be exposed to the radioactive dust.

Deployed by Non-State Actors

Terrorist organizations have shown great interest in dirty bombs because it is difficult for them to obtain atomic power. They lack resources for the same. However, they can create a sense of panic leading to evacuation by effectively using dirty bombs. There have been instances in the past that terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and Chechen rebels have stationed dirty bombs. In short, with the presence of radioactive substances everywhere and also easily portable, a dirty bomb can be built by anyone, anytime, and anywhere that is why these bombs are such a huge menace.

Al-Qaeda over the years is conducting conventional explosive tests for its bomb program development. Further, it is gathering radioactive material for building dirty bombs. Further, in November 1995, Chechen separatists buried a 10lb of dynamite with caesium-137 in a park in Moscow [4]. This was the first-ever dirty bomb attack in the world. Although it was never detonated, a sense of fear and helplessness was ingrained in the minds of the Russian people. There are many similar stories which make the world believe that radioactivity is not limited to state pursuits and terrorists are enthusiastic to lay their hands on this technology. In the times when global terrorism is extremely worrisome, the threat to use dirty bombs or explosives bound with radioactive material comes to the forefront. It is important that the supply channels of radioactive products are monitored carefully and not reach undesirable groups.

Current Crisis

Unverified Russian media sources have claimed that Ukraine was in stages of developing plutonium-based dirty bombs at the deserted Chernobyl nuclear power plant [5]. Russia stated that Ukraine is using Soviet studies and reports to build its weapon and it was necessary to conduct a preemptive strike to bring this development to halt. However, Ukraine's history with nuclear arms is quite the opposite. After the fall of the Soviet Union, the country surrendered thousands of its nuclear weapons to the independent Russia which would be reciprocated by the economic and security guarantees by Russia, the US, and the UK. All the stakeholders signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 assuring that none of the big powers will ever use any kind of force or violence against Ukraine and will always uphold the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. That was the time when Ukraine possessed the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal including 1900 strategic warheads. 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles, and 44 strategic bombers [6]. After the memorandum came into effect, Ukraine became a non-nuclear-weapon state under the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). Currently, Russia stands in violation of the Budapest Memorandum by first annexing Crimea in 2014 and now executing a special military operation on the soils of Ukraine turning towns and cities into mere ruins. Until and unless there is a confirmed report of Ukraine beginning its nuclear production, it all remains just a conjecture. The contemporary international system is not based on malicious narratives or misinformation but proven pieces of evidence.

Dirty bombs have a great value in psychological warfare. As it does not lead to large-scale destruction like nuclear arms, hence, there is no stringent treaty managing its production and supply. Countries who are party to NPT or those who have vowed a No-First-Use policy with respect to nuclear grade weapons can easily without any obstruction accumulate dirty bombs. It is a known fact that no country as of writing has ever used radiological weapons in a war or employed them in its military arsenal. However, countries have exhibited an extensive interest in possessing the radiological capacity to build up deterrence against acrimonious neighbors or adversaries in the region. Conventional bombs are being fabricated to become more ‘dirtier’ with an intention to create a sense of threat or seed more harm than caused by explosives sans radiation. Experts suggest that certain countries might actively use radiological weapons including the dirty bombs in the future if it serves their national interests.

References

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emergencies/moretypes.htm

[2]https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/fs-dirty-bombs.html

[3]https://remm.hhs.gov/rdd.htm

[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2016/3/2/isil-and-the-poor-mans-nuke

[5]https://www.livemint.com/news/world/ukraine-making-nuclear-dirty-bomb-in-chernobyl-russia-claims-11646562572661.html

[6]https://www.timesnownews.com/world/truth-or-propaganda-ukraine-making-plutonium-based-nuclear-dirty-bomb-claims-russia-article-90028343

Pic Courtesy-Greg Leaman at unsplash.com

(The views expressed are those of the author and do not represent views of CESCUBE).