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Emergency Plan
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Terrorism
Types of Terrorism
Advisory System
Preparing for Terrorism
An Explosion
Shelter in Place
Cyber Attack
Biological Weapons
Dirty Bombs
Disaster Kits - Work
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Conclusion
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Dirty Bomb
Nuclear explosions
can cause blinding light, intense heat, fires and radiation fallout. You
may have heard the term “Dirty Bomb", as a terrorist weapon.
A “Dirty Bomb" is an explosive device that scatters radioactive
material.
In most cases, any immediate deaths or serious injuries would likely result from the explosion itself, rather than from radiation exposure.
It is unlikely that the radioactive material contained in a dirty bomb would kill anyone. The radioactive material would be dispersed into the air and reduced to relatively low concentrations, resulting in low doses to people exposed. In addition, most people would be expected to run away from the explosion, further reducing potential exposure. A low-level exposure to radioactive contamination could slightly increase the long-term risk of cancer.
However, a “Dirty Bomb"
could potentially have a significant psychological impact, by causing
fear, panic and disruption. Use of a dirty bomb could result in radioactive
contamination of an area of a city, up to several city blocks, with low
levels of contamination that would require cleanup.
