The Medical Implications of Nuclear War (1986) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
7 Possible Toxic Environments Following a Nuclear War
7 Possible Toxic Environments Following a Nuclear War
Pages 155-166
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 155... ...
Still, 3 to 4 billion people around the world would find themselves alive, once the thousands of megatons of nuclear energy had been released. It is this realization that makes it so important to consider what the longterm environmental effects of a nuclear war would be not for the purpose of planning better bomb shelters and survival techniques, but in the hope that a clearer picture of life after a nuclear war may help provide the incentive necessary to bring about the "aroused understanding and insistence of the peoples of the world" (Einstein*
|
From page 156... ...
the distribution and transformation of toxic chemicals released from chemical plants and produced in the nuclear fires; (2) the partial destruction of the protective ozone layer, with a consequent increase in the level of biologically damaging ultraviolet radiation that would impinge on the biosphere once the smoke cloud has subsided; and (3)
|
From page 157... ...
Even if an entire year's production of organic chemicals were released and uniformly mixed over half of the Northern Hemisphere, the total concentration of all chemical compounds would still be a factor of 5,000 times less than the 50 percent lethal dose (LDso) of hydrogen cyanide gas.
|
From page 158... ...
Of course, many other chemical carcinogens, about which we know even less, would be produced in the nuclear war fires. Nevertheless, these calculations strongly suggest that on a global or semiglobal basis, chemical carcinogenesis may not be a serious impact of nuclear war.
|
From page 159... ...
This is approximately 10 percent of the cancer risk resulting from exposure to 50 reds of ionizing radiation, which has been estimated as the average radiation dose to nuclear war survivors (Turco et al., 19831. Considering that this calculation is based on one specific isomer of one class of compounds and that many other carcinogens would be produced by the nuclear fires, it is not unreasonable to suspect that long-term human and biological
|
From page 160... ...
It is important to note that it is possible that synergisms between chemical exposure and radiation exposure could also increase the cancer incidence following a nuclear war, but insufficient data exist to evaluate such effects. An important difference between chemical toxins and radionuclides is that radioactive contamination is readily detected by relatively inexpensive Geiger counters, while the TCDD isomer of dioxin, like many other toxic compounds, can only be determined by use of a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer; the cost of the latter instruments are in the range of $100,000 to $500,000.
|
From page 161... ...
. The degree of ozone depletion is highly dependent on the height of injection of oxides of nitrogen, and these smaller warheads produce bomb clouds that stabilize at much lower altitudes.
|
From page 162... ...
Thus, once most of the smoke and dust was removed from the atmosphere and sunlight began to break through, the biosphere would not receive normal sunlight but, rather, sunlight highly enriched in ultraviolet radiation. No estimates of ozone depletion have yet taken into account the large perturbations in atmospheric physics and chemistry resulting from the dust and smoke emissions.
|
From page 163... ...
These population centers are sources of oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, partially combusted hydrocarbons, and particulates; it is the interaction of these species with sunlight that results in the formation of strong oxidants such as ozone. The potential of a severe global photochemical smog following a nuclear war was suggested by Crutzen and Birks (1982~.
|
From page 164... ...
As the sooty smoke is slowly removed from the atmosphere and the sunshine begins to break through, it is likely that this light would be highly enriched in damaging ultraviolet radiation adding a further insult to the already injured biosphere. There would always be great uncertainty about the safety of any food eaten, because it could be contaminated by chemical toxins, in addition to radioactivity.
|
From page 165... ...
1973. Effects of nuclear explosions on stratospheric nitric oxide and ozone.
|
From page 166... ...
1983. Nuclear winter: Global consequences of multiple nuclear explosions.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.