What is nuclear/radiologic terrorism?

What is nuclear/radiologic terrorism?

• A. Attacks using chemical agents only.
• B. Cyber attacks on power grids.
• C. Terrorism involving nuclear materials (Hiroshima/Nagasaki).
• D. Use of biological agents in agriculture.

Answer: (C)

Nuclear/radiologic terrorism involves using nuclear materials or radioactive sources to threaten or harm people and to create fear, contamination, or disruption. This can include deploying devices that release radiation or dispersing radioactive material, as in a dirty bomb, with the goal of causing casualties and long-lasting contamination. In emergency response, the focus is on protecting people from radiation exposure, establishing proper zones, decontaminating affected individuals and surfaces, and coordinating with public health and authorities for measurement, containment, and cleanup. The option describing nuclear materials is the best answer because it directly refers to the use of nuclear or radioactive sources. The other choices describe different threat domains—chemical terrorism, cyber attacks on infrastructure, and biological agents in agriculture—that do not involve radiological or nuclear materials.

Nuclear/radiologic terrorism involves using nuclear materials or radioactive sources to threaten or harm people and to create fear, contamination, or disruption. This can include deploying devices that release radiation or dispersing radioactive material, as in a dirty bomb, with the goal of causing casualties and long-lasting contamination. In emergency response, the focus is on protecting people from radiation exposure, establishing proper zones, decontaminating affected individuals and surfaces, and coordinating with public health and authorities for measurement, containment, and cleanup.

The option describing nuclear materials is the best answer because it directly refers to the use of nuclear or radioactive sources. The other choices describe different threat domains—chemical terrorism, cyber attacks on infrastructure, and biological agents in agriculture—that do not involve radiological or nuclear materials.