A nuclear physicist describes 7 things you probably didn't know about radioactive fallout from a nuclear bomb

Adam BarnesMar 23, 2023, 18:41 IST

Nuclear warheads, like the one shown here, are short- and long-term killers.gerasimov_foto_174/Shutterstock

Fallout — radioactive material from a nuclear explosion — exists in every corner of the world.
Nuclear fallout from a bomb is less dangerous long-term than from a nuclear power plant disaster.

1. Fallout can stay in the atmosphere for years

Explosion of Nuclear Device "Seminole" on Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean on June 6, 1956.CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images

2. Radioactive fallout is at the bottom of the ocean

Researchers have found evidence of nuclear fallout in the muscle tissue of sea creatures that inhabit the deepest ocean trenches.Alcatel submarine networks

3. Most Americans carry traces of radioactivity

A warning sign located near the Nevada Test Site.Ted Soqui / Contributor

4. Food is a common culprit of radioactive fallout exposure

Radioactive isotopes can leach into cow's milk.Hao Qunying / Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images

5. Potassium iodide may help protect you from thyroid cancer caused by fallout

Potassium iodide can have side effects so it's important to only take it as instructed by a medical practitioner.Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images

6. Fallout from a bomb is less dangerous than nuclear power plant meltdowns

View of the Chernobyl Nuclear power after the explosion on April 26 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine.Photo by SHONE/GAMMA/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

7. Only about 15% of the energy released by a nuclear bomb comes from nuclear radiation

About 85% of the energy from a nuclear blast comes from the detonation itself.Public domain

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