120
12 Societal Effects of a Nuclear Attack
explosives, they also acknowledge that “Nuclear disasters have been more likely to
induce chronic psychopathology than other types of disasters…” (emphasis added).
All of these authors emphasize the importance of communications in the immediate aftermath of any large terrorist attack, and particularly in the aftermath of a
radiological or nuclear attack. Emergency responders need to know where to report
to work, whether or not their stations are safe, and they need to be able to report to
and receive direction from their chain of command. Some of this information is also
vital for the general public, in particular the location of the footprint of the fallout
plume, when it is safe to evacuate (and in which direction), as well as reminders of
the need to shelter to avoid receiving a fatal radiation dose. Unfortunately, due to
the effects of EMP, this might not be possible for some time after an attack, which
might be too late to help those who do not know in advance that, as an immediate
protective measure, they should shelter in place until they are told that it is safe to
go outdoors and/or evacuate.
Among others, Becker [10–12] has noted that accidents involving radiation are
typically communicated poorly to the public. In particular, information presented to
the public can be conveyed by persons who are not felt to be trustworthy or who
are not experts in the areas being communicated (e.g. engineers or administrators
providing health advice) or the information and instructions provided appear to be
inconsistent from day to day. In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear reactor
accident the author was involved in a number of conversations with personnel at the
local, state, and national levels in both the US and Japan and noted that many state
and local governments were reluctant to release information or recommendations
to the public until the national government had issued statements for fear of being
contradicted, at the same time the national government was slow to do so owing
to worries about making minor errors that might make the government look bad.
Unfortunately, this meant that, in the absence of information from official sources,
unofficial sources, including many who were not knowledgeable about the accident
or about radiation, gained a prominence that would not otherwise have been the case.
Among the concerns raised by the NCRP [7] is that “women who are expecting
babies will be anxious about their pregnancies,” a concern that has been noted in
many circumstances. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, for example, the USSR encouraged women exposed to radiation to terminate their pregnancies on account of the
radiation exposure, and many women in non-USSR Europe were advised to have
therapeutic abortions by their physicians. While the exact number of abortions is not
known, estimates range from 100,000 to more than a quarter million [13]. Similar
concerns are seen on a regular basis as well, it is not uncommon for Radiation Safety
Officers at medical facilities to be called on to calculate fetal radiation exposure from
diagnostic radiation several times annually, and for many obstetricians to recommend
terminating the pregnancy even before a fetal dose calculation has been performed.
Accordingly, it seems reasonable to assume that the aftermath of a nuclear attack
might lead to similar concerns, resulting in performing unneeded abortions. Much of
this is due to the fact that physicians rarely receive significant training in the effects
of radiation on their patients or on the reproductive effects of radiation [14].
12 Societal Effects of a Nuclear Attack
explosives, they also acknowledge that “Nuclear disasters have been more likely to
induce chronic psychopathology than other types of disasters…” (emphasis added).
All of these authors emphasize the importance of communications in the immediate aftermath of any large terrorist attack, and particularly in the aftermath of a
radiological or nuclear attack. Emergency responders need to know where to report
to work, whether or not their stations are safe, and they need to be able to report to
and receive direction from their chain of command. Some of this information is also
vital for the general public, in particular the location of the footprint of the fallout
plume, when it is safe to evacuate (and in which direction), as well as reminders of
the need to shelter to avoid receiving a fatal radiation dose. Unfortunately, due to
the effects of EMP, this might not be possible for some time after an attack, which
might be too late to help those who do not know in advance that, as an immediate
protective measure, they should shelter in place until they are told that it is safe to
go outdoors and/or evacuate.
Among others, Becker [10–12] has noted that accidents involving radiation are
typically communicated poorly to the public. In particular, information presented to
the public can be conveyed by persons who are not felt to be trustworthy or who
are not experts in the areas being communicated (e.g. engineers or administrators
providing health advice) or the information and instructions provided appear to be
inconsistent from day to day. In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear reactor
accident the author was involved in a number of conversations with personnel at the
local, state, and national levels in both the US and Japan and noted that many state
and local governments were reluctant to release information or recommendations
to the public until the national government had issued statements for fear of being
contradicted, at the same time the national government was slow to do so owing
to worries about making minor errors that might make the government look bad.
Unfortunately, this meant that, in the absence of information from official sources,
unofficial sources, including many who were not knowledgeable about the accident
or about radiation, gained a prominence that would not otherwise have been the case.
Among the concerns raised by the NCRP [7] is that “women who are expecting
babies will be anxious about their pregnancies,” a concern that has been noted in
many circumstances. In the aftermath of Chernobyl, for example, the USSR encouraged women exposed to radiation to terminate their pregnancies on account of the
radiation exposure, and many women in non-USSR Europe were advised to have
therapeutic abortions by their physicians. While the exact number of abortions is not
known, estimates range from 100,000 to more than a quarter million [13]. Similar
concerns are seen on a regular basis as well, it is not uncommon for Radiation Safety
Officers at medical facilities to be called on to calculate fetal radiation exposure from
diagnostic radiation several times annually, and for many obstetricians to recommend
terminating the pregnancy even before a fetal dose calculation has been performed.
Accordingly, it seems reasonable to assume that the aftermath of a nuclear attack
might lead to similar concerns, resulting in performing unneeded abortions. Much of
this is due to the fact that physicians rarely receive significant training in the effects
of radiation on their patients or on the reproductive effects of radiation [14].