How long will radiation stay in an area after a nuclear explosion?

Question

After a nuclear explosion, how long will the area affected be radiated?

If people hide in a nuclear fallout/shellout, how long before a human could safely venture to the outside world?

Answer 1

First of all no one knows if a shelter will even help you,
If a nuclear explosion happened I personally would want to die quick, There would be no safe food, no safe water and you would die a slow painful death.

Answer 2

After A Nuclear Explosion

Answer 3

All nuclear bombs (including hydrogen bombs) leave radioactive waste products. This is because virtually all fusion bombs, although they don't intrinsically create radioactive waste, have a fission bomb to ignite them which does create radioactive waste. Regardless, the fallout afterwards is only dangerous if exposed to over the long term or in high doses. The fallout is partly gaseous and partly dust which will settle. As such, the best course of action is to stay in an isolated room with minimal air flow (ie a basement) until the dust settles and the gas dissipates. This will take maybe a few days at most, after which it would be wise to leave the effected area if possible. It is unlikely that city water would remain in service after such an explosion so contaminated water is not a problem as you can't get it anyways :P. Water in sealed bottles would still be safe as would any food in a sealed container.

As for fallout itself, it lingers for centuries but is also buried and scattered so the area maybe inhabitable again with no major health risks within a few generations. Even immediately afterwards it won't kill you, it will just increase your chances of cancer and other diseases many years later. It's also worth noting that not all radiation is created equal. Alpha radiation for example is harmless unless ingested as it lacks the energy to penetrate the outermost layers of skin which are already dead.

Answer 4

There are many factors to take into account. Some raioactivity will be detectable for a very long time. How long before it is safe to return would depend on what type of bomb, weather soil type etc. As little as a few weeks or months in some places, years others. If you were in an isolated valley for instance it would take longer than say na rainy coastline. The Dept. of Defense pubblished a book now hard to find called The effects of nuclear weapons. It had data collected from many tests detailing damage at different distances and from different yeils as well as contamination.

Answer 5

With every day pass, our country is getting into more and more trouble. The inflation, unemployment and falling value of dollar are the main concern for our Government but authorities are just sleeping, they don’t want to face the fact. Media is also involve in it, they are force to stop showing the real economic situation to the people. I start getting more concern about my future as well as my family after watching the response of our Government for the people that affected by hurricane Katrina.

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Answer 6

I know this is old but the game fallout depicts it pretty well, about 10 years for most radiation in the air to settle near 100-200 years for radiation in the ground to dissipate (speculation) and nuclear fuel from missiles and right at the point of impact can be thousands (1000's) of years to 100,000 years.

Answer 7

between 48 hours and 2 weeks depending on the size of the bomb. there would be safe water and food which is canned food and rice and beans and protection will be necessary to leave your home or safe zone best water that would be safe is in a hot water heater and you can distill water to get rid of nuclear particles in the water and survive after that.

Answer 8

At least a generation. Nagasaki was crippled for decades. Chernobyl still contains extremely high levels and the children within the area are visibly affected. In a WW3 style battle, you're better off taking it on the chin.

Answer 9

It grew to become into an atomic bomb, not a nuclear bomb. The Atomic bomb makes use of a lot of a similar techniques yet isn't as good as a Hydrogen bomb "thermonuclear" warhead. With an atomic bomb like what went off in Hiroshima/Nagasaki some radioactive products are borne into the better environment as airborne dirt and mud or gas and might subsequently be deposited partly decayed as radioactive fallout a procedures from the positioning of the explosion. The bomb dropped on Aug. 6, 1945, grew to become into an atomic bomb, makes use of fission, on the city of Hiroshima and had an envisioned equivalent explosive tension of 12,500 various TNT. A hydrogen bomb, nuclear warhead makes use of fusion. hydrogen bomb or H-bomb,weapon deriving a extensive ingredient of its power from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotopes. In an atomic bomb, uranium or plutonium is divided into lighter aspects that jointly weigh decrease than the unique atoms, something of the mass performing as power. in assessment to this fission bomb, the hydrogen bomb purposes by utilising the fusion, or transforming into to be a member of jointly, of lighter aspects into heavier aspects. the tip product lower back weighs decrease than its aspects, the version as quickly as extra performing as power. because of the fact particularly extreme temperatures are required with a view to commence up fusion reactions, the hydrogen bomb is likewise extensive-unfold as a thermonuclear bomb.

Answer 10

It depends on the half life of the radioactive fall out.