This continued beyond World War II extending throughout the Cold War that followed until the fall of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the late 1980s.

However, an important influence of the entanglement of civil nuclear power development and atomic weapons research is that of war-time secrecy. The development of the atomic bomb and its successors have been described in detail in many other texts, and this is not the objective of this work.

Malcolm Joyce, in Nuclear Engineering, 2018 2.8 National Trends in Power Reactor Design Even non-penetrating radiation such as alpha particles may be dangerous once it enters the body. However, evidence now suggests that when pulverized into dust after hitting an armored target, the radioactive dust can be inhaled and ingested.

These may not be a concern when unfired and intact. It is unknown whether ocean clams bioaccumulate radioactive metals but shellfish such as oysters certainly do accumulate other heavy metals, particularly during lower dissolved oxygen periods in late summer.Ī second area of potential concern would be ranges in which spent uranium anti-tank shells were used. Because of the weight, these barge loads were dumped fairly close to shore in areas of commercial shell fishing. As noted in the section on underwater dumping, spent nuclear fuel amounted to hundreds of thousands of tons. These are not FUDS but may nevertheless warrant investigation. High on a list of radioactive site concerns would be spent fuel rod dumps offshore in the ocean. And do not forget about radon gas, which is naturally occurring, before accusing the military of concealing a buried warhead when your Geiger counter sounds off. It might just be an old alarm clock face a few inches below the ground level where it fell when thrown out the bedroom window. The author also recommends consulting a nuclear physicist before sounding the alarm if the Geiger counter clicks a few too many times. The author recommends the Exploranium GR-135 detector because it will tell the isotope in addition to the radioactivity level. Some can detect excessive radioactivity at 100 feet. Whereas just about any Geiger counter from the Civil Defense era can tell if the radioactivity is above background levels, more sensitive instruments are needed.

Although the cleanup of nuclear facilities is a function of the Department of Energy (states and local government entities only have authority over medical radioactivity), locating and defining radioactive contamination is still a proper role for these entities. The author does not know if this list includes all atomic weapon storage facilities or ocean dumpsites. Recently, DOD listed 400 atomic weapon test sites. Equipment is now available, that can make quick, accurate, and cheap surveys just to verify the absence of this hazard. Many military sites used, stored, or disposed of radioactive substances, including the newer depleted uranium anti-tank shells, in addition to atomic bombs and demolition devices. This section is included because residents, stakeholders, and regulators may overlook radioactive material. Albright, in Cleanup of Chemical and Explosive Munitions (Second Edition), 2012 5.6 Radioactive Facilities

Atomic bomb