Medical Effects

Our understanding of the health effects of a nuclear explosion is based on data collected in Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as from test explosions and large accidents at nuclear power plants, like the accident at Chernobyl in 1986.

The overall effects of a nuclear explosion are a heat wave, a pressure wave and radiation. The radiation is what distinguishes a nuclear explosion from any other large-scale explosion.

The Heat Wave

Burns as a direct effect of the explosion and massive fires resulting from the explosion.

The Pressure Wave

Injuries from the blast of the explosion as well as from flying objects resulting from the pressure wave created by the blast.

The Radiation

Leads to as well short-term as long-term injuries. The short term effects is called Radiation Sickness and results in symptoms due to central nervous system dysfunction; nausea, vomiting and diarrhea from injury to the gastrointestinal tract leading to fatal dehydration and malnutrition; and life-threatening infections and uncontrolled bleeding due to failure to produce new blood cells. The long-term effects of radiation are malformations of newborn children of mothers exposed to radiation and a variety of cancers, especially lymphomas and thyroid cancer.

Additional to the above the trauma of experiencing a nuclear explosion and being confronted with death and injuries cause mental disabilities similar to those experienced in other contexts of war like acute stress disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

IPPNW has conducted studies of the effects of a nuclear explosion over a major city based on data from Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombs exploded over Hiroshima and Nagasaki were in the order of 10 KT. The average size of a nuclear warhead today is in the order of 1 MT and the calculations are therefore adjusted to that.

The total number of casualties will depend on many factors such as the population density in the area, the weather conditions and whether the explosion is in the atmosphere or on the ground.

The effects of a nuclear explosion on the health care facilities

The ultimate amount of casualties resulting from a nuclear explosion does not only depend on the explosion itself, but also on the capacity of the health care system to respond to the emergency. In the case of a nuclear explosion most of the hospitals and health care facilities will be destroyed by the explosion and most medical personnel will be killed or injured. In addition to that the majority of the injuries after a nuclear explosion will be very care-intensive. In the US it is estimated that burn injuries alone would require 142 times as many intensive care units as would be available. An electromagnetic wave created by the blast will short circuit all electrical current and therefore neither normal electrical supplies, emergency generators or car batteries will be functioning leading to further difficulties in meeting care needs in hospitals and transporting injured to health care facilities and out of the zone with radioactive fall-out.

In addition to the health effects of an actual explosion comes the health effects due to testing and stockpiling of weapons with radioactive components. IPPNW estimates that by the year 2000 radiation and radioactive materials from atmospheric testing will have caused 430,000 cancer deaths.

The indirect health effects of the production, testing and stockpiling of nuclear weapons must also be considered. Military budgets of nuclear weapon states are enormous. The military expenditures subtracts from investment in health and social systems with devastating effects for the population's health.

Based on the above the WHO has stated that nuclear weapons are the largest immediate threat to human health. We simply have no cure in the case of a nuclear explosion. All we can do is to work for the prevention of a holocaust through global nuclear disarmament.

Burns

Hiroshima after the nuclear explosion

Boy with radiation sickness

The effects of a 1 MT nuclear explosion on the ground

Ground Zero: all life and structures are obliterated.

0-1.5 km: All life is extinguished in seconds due to the formation of a large fireball resulting from the ignition of the atmosphere.

1.5 - 5 km: Collapse of larger buildings and destruction of smaller structures. Burns and lethal injuries resulting from debris being carried by the wind. In addition to this 50% immediate deaths.

5 - 10 km: 3. degree burns to exposed skin. Destruction of small buildings. Asphyxiation due to a developing firestorm. Fatalities will approach 100 % in the ensuing hours.

10 - 20 km: Second degree burns and injuries caused by pressure wave. Depending on the ability of protective structures to withstand blast and fire total early casualties will range from 5 - 50%.