Re: Dirty bomb predictions

["J. J. Rozental" <joseroze@NETVISION.NET.IL>]

Dear colleagues apologize for the last incomplete e-mail



a) The international conference jointly organized by the EC,

IAEA, INTERPOL and WCO and held in Dijon, France, 14-18 September 1998

was the first Conference devoted to the safety of radiation sources and

the security of radioactive materials.

It was discussed the experience with criminal acts involving radioactive

materials; Detection and

identification techniques for illicitly trafficked radioactive materials and

there are interesting papers in the

Proceedings and IAEA TECDOC 1045

I have the pdf form  containing abstracts on terrorism (140 pages)  to those

interested, please send me an e-mail.





b) About dirty bomb there is a scenario at

http://www.home.eznet.net/~kenberry/materials/RADEX.htm



" The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued an alert and shares

information with key local, state, and federal staff on Tuesday, March 18,

1997. A terrorist group has phoned the St. Paul Police Department stating

that their group has built a radioactive bomb and will detonate it at a

public facility unless their demands are met within 48 hours........."



In this scenario de dirty bomb was made using a ~2 TBq (50 Ci)  Ir-192

source. Iridium is metallic form, so residuals is not so complex as using

Cs-137 source, because old Cs-137 sources (abandoned, lost, orphan) are in

form of salt, Caesium Chloride powder, as in Goiania Accident. In Goiania,

initial radiation surveys were conducted on foot over the contaminated

areas, some of them with dose levels of up to 2 Sv/h (200 rem/h) at one

metre -  (I was there).

The main problem with a dirty bomb will not be the technical group to work,

there are very good groups around the world and at IAEA, to deal with the

situation considering the radiological impact, however the psychological

impact will be a questioon of major concern. This is the main point where

people should be trained. Unfortunatelly in so many emergency courses the

topics Media and Public Communication and Psychological Impac are very poor.



c) To have a real idea on Cs-137 in the soil I recommend to read the

following papers published in the Health Physics 60 Number 1 -January 1991,

Special Issue the Goiania Accident



(i) Distribution of Cs-137 in soils due to the Goiania Accident and

Decisions for for Remedial Action   During the Recovery Phase (pages 91/98)

(ii) Cesium 137 in the Goiania Waterways During and After the Radiological

Accident (pages99/103)



Jose Julio Rozental

joseroze@netvision.net.il

Israel

















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