The Surgeon and Acts of Civilian Terrorism: Radiation Exposure and Injury

Abstract

R A t o c c f i t p t e i w t t u e adiation terrorism can be defined as use of radioactive aterials to create real or perceived injury to civilian opulations. Use of radioactive materials could be a psyhosocial event, where small amounts of radioactive maerials, liquids, or gases could be disseminated in a public etting. Such dissemination might occur by using a raiation dispersal device to contaminate a public place, ontaminate the water supply, or aerosolize radioactive apor or liquids. Although the dose of radioactivity and isk of injury would be small, the social panic and chaos ould be substantial. Radioactive materials could also be included in a conentional explosive device, or “dirty bomb.” Alternaively, conventional explosives could target a nuclear ower plant or nuclear waste storage facility. Radioactive aterial would be dispersed by the conventional exploion in the smoke plume. The effects would be potential xposure of casualties of a conventional explosion to adioactivity, radioactive contamination of open wounds, xposure of rescue personnel to radioactive material, and irborne radioactive debris and particles that would be arried some distance away from the explosion site. Raiation exposure of casualties and rescue personnel ould be considerable. Airborne radioactive particulate aterial would not likely be sufficient to cause acute downwind” radiation injury, but the psychosocial conequences of a radioactive plume passing across a major rban area would be great. Longterm carcinogenesis in he downwind population is possible. Radioactive maerial is readily available from nuclear waste processors, uclear power plant materials, medical research or radioherapy units, and industrial sources of radioactive ma-