Dirty bombsIsrael conducted tests to assess the impact of dirty bombs
Between 2010 and 2014, Israeli scientists at the Dimona nuclear reactor conducted a series of experiments, under the code name “Green Field,” to examine the consequences of a dirty-bomb explosion in Israel. The purpose of the experiments was defensive – to measure the likely effect of a dirty bomb and evaluate countermeasures. The experiments did not evaluate to offensive potential of a dirty bomb.
Between 2010 and 2014, Israeli scientists at the Dimona nuclear reactor conducted a series of experiments, under the code name “Green Field,” to examine the consequences of a dirty-bomb explosion in Israel. The purpose of the experiments was defensive – to measure the likely effect of a dirty bomb and evaluate countermeasures. The experiments did not evaluate to offensive potential of a dirty bomb.
In the experiments, scientists detonated twenty explosive charges weighing between a quarter of kilogram and twenty-five kilograms, mixed with the radioactive material technetium-99m, which is widely used in medical imaging. The experiments employed Dimona’s most advanced technologies, including micro-UAVs to measure radiation and sensors to measure the explosive yield.
Haaretz reports that most of the test explosions were done in the Negev desert, and that one of the explosions was conducted in an enclosure.
Scientists found that intense radiation could be detected at the core of the explosion, and that wind-carried radioactive particles would carry low-level radiation to the surrounding area. The scientists concluded that the most serious impact of a dirty bomb is the psychological impact on the population.
If the dirty bomb exploded in an enclosed area, that area would have to be closed for a long time to be decontaminated.
As part of the project, an experiment called “Red House” was meant to examine a scenario of radiological material being placed in a crowded location, but without exploding it. Radioactive material, diluted in water, was placed in the ventilation system of a two-story building. The experiment showed that this is not an effective way of spreading the material inside the building, as most of it was stopped by the air-conditioning filters.
The newspaper notes that after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, Israel began preparations for dealing with a possible dirty-bomb explosion. In 2006 the Israel Ministry of Health issued instructions on the steps which had to be taken in the event of a radiological attack.
