MADRID, 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Russia’s warnings about the alleged use of radiological weapons, better known as dirty bombs, in Ukraine, denied by the main Ukrainian authorities, have fueled fears of a nuclear escalation in the conflict, to the extent that it is a device which includes among its components radioactive material.
kyiv fears that Moscow is already looking for excuses to climb one more step, given that Russian President Vladimir Putin has raised the threat of a nuclear attack on more than one occasion, with unforeseeable consequences for both the region and the world. .
The main element of dirty bombs is common explosives, such as dynamite, but it also includes pellets or radioactive dust. The detonation of the device causes the associated material to spread in the nearby area, although in no case would it generate an explosion of a magnitude comparable to that of a nuclear bomb, nor the ‘mushroom cloud’ that is associated, for example, with the cases of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) establishes the explosion itself as the “main danger” of a dirty bomb, which can cause damage in the surrounding area. Exposure to radioactive materials “probably” would not pose a risk of serious illness, except for those people who are “very close” to the explosion.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) concluded two decades ago that “the most serious impact” of a radiological weapon would be “the panic and social disturbances” that the detonation would cause, comparable in its effects to “an act of terrorism” .
In fact, during the last decades the main fear of the experts is that terrorist groups could use this type of weapon, as was already evident in the mid-1990s in Chechnya. The only two documented attempts to use dirty bombs correspond to this Russian republic.
The CDC warns, in any case, that the dust and smoke can spread and be dangerous in case of inhalation, so the US authorities recommend staying indoors or, if you are outside, cover your nose and mouth. mouth with some kind of garment. It also advises against touching objects that may be contaminated.
The consumption of potassium iodide is recommended in the case of radioactive contamination -for example after an accident at a nuclear power plant-, but the CDC does not see it as a priority in the case of dirty bombs, since there is no way to know the composition of the artifact first and it can be counterproductive.
Likewise, they also do not believe that the consumption of water or food in the area near the dirty pump poses a risk. However, for prevention, it recommends not drinking or eating anything that has been exposed to the open air.