Dirty Bombs

A "dirty bomb" is a conventional explosive, such as dynamite, salted with radioactive waste that scatters when the bomb goes off. It is not a nuclear bomb. The bomb can kill or injure through the initial blast of the conventional explosive and possibly through the dispersal of the radioactive materials-- hence the term "dirty." Such bombs could be small devices or as big as a truck bomb. There are four categories of radioactive waste ranging from very low-level waste that can be safely disposed of with ordinary refuse, to high-level waste such as spent nuclear fuel. Substantial amounts of radioactive waste are generated through civilian and military applications of radionuclides in medical facilities, food irradiation plants, chemical and manufacturing plants, etc. Some types of radioactive waste would be easier to obtain than others in order to make a "dirty bomb". Radiation detectors are needed to alert officials of their presence.