Scientists at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant claim that a radioactive material was stolen from the laboratory during the Russia-Ukraine conflict. There are rumors that it can be used to create a nuclear dirty bomb. However, the possibility of building a dirty bomb from the stolen radioactive material is slim.
Workers at the Chernobyl site continue to work unpaid for nearly two months and are almost without food. An anonymous scientist from the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants (ISPNPP) in Ukraine told New Scientist that radioactive material was indeed stolen from the radiation monitoring laboratory in the recently abandoned Chernobyl.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), points on a map of the Ukrainian Zaporizhzhia power plant as he informs the press about the situation of nuclear powerplants in Ukraine during a special press conference at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria on March 4, 2022. -
Stolen Dirty Bomb Ingredients
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues, reports of stolen radioactive material circulated in the media. According to Reuters, Russian state media warned that Ukraine had been prepping a plutonium-based dirty bomb nuclear weapon at the abandoned Chernobyl site.
Ukraine's government denied the rumors about them making nuclear "dirty bomb" stressing that it had no plans to join the nuclear club after giving up its nuclear arms almost three decades ago following the collapse of the Soveit Union. Although the claim that Ukraine is building a dirty bomb has not yet been confirmed, an anonymous scientist has tipped that radioactive material is indeed stolen from the nuclear power plant.
The loss of the radioactive material was first reported by Science which claimed that the communication with another lab where the powerful sources of gamma and neutron were stored had been cut off, suggesting that the material had gone missing from there.
Stolen Material Could Not Make Dirty Bomb
Despite the stolen radioactive material, Bruno Merk from the University of Liverpool in the UK said that it should be no sign of concern since the stolen material is not the right type to create a nuclear weapon, New Scientist reported. A nuclear weapon is typically made of plutonium or uranium, but Merk explained that small amounts of them would be of very limited use in making a dirty bomb.
Merk added that anything likely found in the laboratories around Chernobyl would be no more dangerous than the materials being used for medical purposes. He said that it would be easier to steal radioactive sources from a hospital where they are easily found than in Chernobyl. More so, these materials are likely used to calibrate detection equipment.
Dirty Bomb: Components, and Effects
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a dirty bomb is a combination of explosives and radioactive powder or pellets. The radioactive material could scatter into the surrounding area when the explosives are triggered.
Although similarly radioactive, a dirty bomb is different from an atomic bomb. The dirty bomb could not create an atomic blast, instead, it will only release radioactive smoke, dust, or other material that is radioactive.
Their main dangers can include serious injury, damage to property, and serious illness. Radioactive dust and smoke can spread farther away and could be dangerous to health when inhaled.
Since it cannot be seen, smelled, or felt, doctors would advise covering the mouth, nose, and eyes to avoid inhaling it, not touching the explosives, and immediately going inside a building. While inside a building, make sure that all windows are closed ad stay in the building.
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