History of the nuclear testing was started back in 1965 by US at New Mexico, Alamogordo desert, when the first nuclear bomb was fired. After that series of Nuclear tests were conducted not only by US but also many nations in the world, till now more than 2000 nuclear test has been conducted so far and are of various kinds. These kinds or we can say types vary from above ground, underground and underwater. Atmospheric testing means, nuclear bombs are tested above the atmosphere, underwater testing are bomb testing which are conducted in shallow water or on the surface of water. A few under water test are conducted however major test were atmospheric but the first under water test was Operation Crossroads conducted by US in 1946, to evaluate the effect of nuclear bombs on the submarines. This test was conducted at the depth of about 600 ft. Underground bomb testing is conducted when the explosion is fully contained and has negligible outcome, however it can produce radioactive debris along with seismic activity.

Then it came the World War II, when US dropped 2 Nuclear Bombs, “Little Boy” at Hiroshima on 6 Aug 1945 and “Fat Man” at Nagasaki on 09 Aug 1945. These both bombs combined killed 220,000 Japanese nationals, other 200,000 died due to radiation exposure. Soon after the closure of the World War II, a new race of weapons started between superpower, the US and Soviet Union. Between the years 1946-1949, US conducted 6 more tests, Soviet in line with this action conducted a nuclear test named “Joe 1”, this test was the start of Cold War nuclear arm race between two nations.

The impacts of the nuclear tests either environmental of health, go far beyond the borders and is does not matter which type of test conducted. Considerable amount of radioactive material or salts like Iodine-131, Strontium-90 and Caesium-137 released into soil air and water.

Nuclear testing has far-reaching health and environmental consequences. A significant amount of radioactive material (e.g. iodine-131, strontium-90, and caesium-137) has been discharged into the atmosphere, land, and water as a result of nuclear testing over many decades. The effects of these isotopes are determined by their uptake in the environment and the human body, as well as the type of radiation they produce. The effects of such isotopes are determined by their uptake in the environment and the human body, the type of radiation emitted, the number of isotopes present, and their half-life and radioactivity. The fallout range was determined by the type of warhead, altitude and location of detonation, geography, weather conditions, and wind direction during the years of atmospheric nuclear testing. Over 61,000 deciduous teeth were collected and analyzed in the United States over a two-and-a-half-year period beginning in 1959 to determine the buildup of strontium-90 in youngsters. The study discovered that ‘deciduous teeth can be used to assess strontium-90 intake in humans.' The study discovered that ‘deciduous teeth can be used to assess strontium-90 intake in humans.' For example, higher incidences of ciguatera marine food poisoning were linked to French nuclear testing in Polynesia in the 1960s and 1970s.

We need to cut down these types of nuclear testing so to save the nature and upcoming generations.

References:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/end-nuclear-tests-day/history

https://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/publications/research/2017-05-08-HINT.pdf

About the Author: Meraj Ahsan Qureshi is a young enthusiastic environmentalist, looking to educate and aware society about environment problems.