| According to statistics from the International | | | | a schedule that operates within a reasonable |
| Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), smugglers | | | | time-and-cost framework. |
| attempting to traffic radioactive material have | | | | The health impact of a dirty bomb attack |
| been apprehended more than 300 times since | | | | depends in part on the type and quantity of |
| 2002. Most of these incidents have occurred in | | | | radioactive materials deployed. It depends also on |
| Europe. The smugglers have mainly been from | | | | environmental factors such as prevailing wind |
| Eastern European countries and their motivation | | | | conditions at the time of the attack. The risk |
| appears to have been monetary - the prospect | | | | becomes elevated in the case of a device that |
| of making a fast buck. | | | | makes use of powdered alpha emitting material - |
| Since 1993 the IAEA has also recorded 16 | | | | sometimes referred to as a "smoky bomb". |
| confirmed cases in which highly enriched uranium | | | | However experts are generally agreed that for |
| or plutonium has gone missing. These are only the | | | | the majority of people in a greater urban area |
| recorded cases and they also involve traffickers. | | | | that has experienced a dirty bomb attack, the |
| There are many war zones around the world | | | | health risks are low. |
| however, where it is difficult for the IAEA to | | | | Andrew Karam of the Rochester Institute of |
| monitor this type of trafficking activity, so their | | | | Technology calculated that even in the case of a |
| statistical profile may not accurately reflect the | | | | fairly potent bomb using a radioactive cobalt-60 |
| extent of the problem. | | | | rod, people within a half mile radius of the |
| Although some of the radioactive material has | | | | explosion would only receive a few tenths of a |
| been tracked to Eastern bloc nuclear sites, | | | | rem (a rem is a unit of radiation). People receive |
| radioactive waste found in the possession of | | | | 0.3 - 0.4 rem average dose per year from natural |
| traffickers has also been traced to medical and | | | | sources, and workers in radiation facilities receive |
| laboratory facilities. | | | | an average dose of 1 rem or less annually. The |
| Experts are divided on whether or not a terrorist | | | | dose from a dirty bomb attack in Karam's |
| organization such as Al Qaeda would be capable | | | | estimation "would probably not lead to many, if |
| of exploiting weapons and materials acquired | | | | any, cancer deaths". |
| through black market sources in order to stage a | | | | The main health impact in the short term would |
| nuclear attack. However most agree that Al | | | | relate to the psychological trauma induced by an |
| Qaeda is capable of producing a so-called 'dirty | | | | attack of this sort. Exposure to radiation is |
| bomb'. | | | | especially terrifying for most people since radiation |
| Most often the term 'dirty bomb' refers to an | | | | can't be seen and has been linked to an elevated |
| RDD, or radiological dispersal device. This is a | | | | risk of developing cancer later in life. In immediate |
| bomb that combines radioactive material with | | | | terms, the fear factor is likely to be more of a |
| conventional explosives. Unlike a conventional | | | | concern than the risk posed by radiation. The |
| terrorist bomb, the primary objective of an RDD | | | | trauma could lead to anxiety-related heart attacks |
| isn't to target civilians directly with the explosion - | | | | and other panic related health issues. |
| rather the explosion disperses radioactive material | | | | In the view of some security analysts, a dirty |
| over a wide area, in an attempt to create fear | | | | bomb attack is overdue. It is widely believed that |
| and disruption. | | | | Al Qaeda has the ability to make and deploy a |
| Recent Federal research in Canada looked at the | | | | dirty bomb. A British man, Dhiren Barot, recently |
| potential fall-out from a device containing 20 curies | | | | pleaded guilty to conspiring to attack civilians in the |
| of americium-241 (a by-product of plutonium). | | | | UK and US using a radioactive dirty bomb. He |
| Researchers created a hypothetical post-attack | | | | intended to target underground parking facilities |
| scenario, looking at everything from | | | | and well known buildings in the US such as the |
| decontamination costs to the impact on | | | | International Monetary Fund and the New York |
| productivity and tourism. The estimated economic | | | | Stock Exchange. |
| cost of a dirty bomb attack on a city such as | | | | Preparedness and prevention are vitally important |
| Toronto for example, has been calculated at | | | | in the face of a possible dirty bomb attack. |
| around $23 billion. | | | | According to Canadian Public Safety Minister, |
| The main value of this type of attack from the | | | | Stockwell Day, Canada has put "considerable |
| terrorists' point-of-view would be their ability to | | | | effort" into addressing the issue. Preventative |
| create massive disruption and generate a climate | | | | measures are important at air terminals, sea |
| of fear and uncertainty. A wind-borne radioactive | | | | ports and other points of access. Recently |
| plume would spread over an area the city, | | | | Ottawa International Airport acquired 25 |
| resulting in widespread contamination. Many nations | | | | detectors specifically designed to identify |
| lack the technology needed in order to | | | | radioactive materials. |
| decontaminate a densely populated urban area on | | | | |