Figure 1: “Small Boy” nuclear test in Nevada 1962 (Source: Science, 2020)
What is nuclear fallout?
Nuclear fallout refers to the condensation of radioactive material produced from the detonation of nuclear weapons (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The dominant lethal effects lasting up to weeks, and the subsequent fallout contamination lasting up to decades (MIT Press Reader, 2022). As fallout consists of particles, nuclear fallout is often carried over long distances through wind, extending to areas beyond the explosion site. These charged particles can then mix with atmospheric water droplets, soot, or dust (Science, 2020).
Dangers of nuclear fallout
- Human impacts
The impacts of radioactive fallout are wide, with people become irradiated through several ways following a nuclear fallout event. These include inhaling fallout particles or absorbing radiation through physical contact with fallout particles, as well as through consuming contaminated food (Black et al., 2017). One of the more widely studied incidents include the radioactive contamination of milk – in which cows consuming contaminated grass, resulting in the excretion of iodine 131 in their milk. The ingestion of radioactive iodine 131 then resulted in high concentrations of radioactivity in the thyroid gland (Yamamoto, 2013), increasing the chances of thyroid cancer in humans. More recent studies include Markabayeva et al.’s (2018) study on the effects of fallout exposure due to nuclear weapons testing in Kazakhstan, which found that populations living near these test sites had a higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases due to fallout exposure. To date, radioactive fallout in Kazakhstan mostly stems from uranium extraction activities, with fallout effects remaining a public health concern in populations living near nuclear test sites (Markabayeva et al., 2018). For populations who received significant amounts of radioactive fallout directly on their skin, this resulted in skin “burns”, as seen in Marshallese populations following the Bravo nuclear test on the Marshall Islands (Simon et al., 2014).
2. Environmental impacts
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross ([ICRC], 2020), modern environmental modelling techniques have shown that the emission of nuclear fallout particles from the use of nuclear weapons can lead to atmospheric cooling and shorter growing seasons, resulting in food shortages. The release of soot would block out sunlight, resulting in not just a decrease in global temperatures, but also less rainfall due to reduced evaporation rates due to lower temperatures (Van Hoesen, 2019). This phenomenon has come to be known as a “nuclear winter” (Carter, 2023), which could result global starvation along with the contamination of soil and water near nuclear weapons detonation sites.
References
Black, S., Bütikofer, A., Devereux, P., & Salvanes, K. (2013). This Is Only a Test? Long-Run Impacts of Prenatal Exposure to Radioactive Fallout (No. w18987; p. w18987). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w18987
Carter, J. (n.d.). No Sunny Days For A Decade, Extreme Cold And Starvation: ‘Nuclear Winter’ And The Urgent Need For Public Education. Forbes. Retrieved February 15, 2023, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2023/02/13/no-sunny-days-for-a-decade-extreme-cold-and-starvation-nuclear-winter-and-the-urgent-need-for-public-education/
CDC Radiation Emergencies | Frequently Asked Questions About a Nuclear Blast. (2022, April 8). https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/radiation/emergencies/nuclearfaq.htm
Perkins, S. (n.d.). Can nuclear fallout make it rain? Retrieved February 15, 2023, from https://www.science.org/content/article/can-nuclear-fallout-make-it-rain
Reader, T. M. P. (2022, March 2). The Devastating Effects of Nuclear Weapons. The MIT Press Reader. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/devastating-effects-of-nuclear-weapons-war/
Simon, S. L., Bouville, A., Land, C. E., & Beck, H. L. (2010). RADIATION DOSES AND CANCER RISKS IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPOSURE TO RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT FROM BIKINI AND ENEWETAK NUCLEAR WEAPONS TESTS: SUMMARY. Health Physics, 99(2), 105–123. https://doi.org/10.1097/HP.0b013e3181dc523c
Van Hoesen, S. (2023). Science of Environmental Effects of Nuclear War // Artifacts Journal. https://artifactsjournal.missouri.edu/2019/06/science-of-environmental-effects-of-nuclear-war/
Yamamoto, L. G. (2013). Risks and Management of Radiation Exposure. Pediatric Emergency Care, 29(9), 1016. https://doi.org/10.1097/PEC.0b013e3182a380b8