2.

cobolt-60, largely from activity induced in iron used for towers,

etc., in the tests.

(Its 5-year lifetime makes waiting times

for decay more acceptable).
3.

various isotopes of plutonium produced from the capture of ’
neutrons by uranium in the nuclear detonation.

4.

The unconsumed plutonium and/or uranium used for the nuclear

explosive but not having undergone fission.

(When nuclear explo-

sives misfire, the chemical-type high explosive used for assembling these nuclear components ultimately endsinstead in spreading

5.

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Even misfires or near misfires (low yield) of nuclear explosives result
in a spread of radioactivity, as is seen by Item 4.

In these misfire cases,

the residual uranium or plutonium is deposited over a much smaller area than for
the case of the spread from a nuclear explosive (perhaps square yards of spread
in the former case, but worldwide or at least square miles in latter).
misfires are essentially intentional in that they are safety tests.

Some

A par-

ticular concern in a misfire is the spread of plutonium-239; the lower radiological hazard of uranium-235 causes very much less of a radiological concern
when used as the nuclear material.

This plutonium concern is complicated by

its long 24-thousand year half life for decay, which is far too long for
planning on decay to eliminate the hazard.

.

Just such difficulties of plutonium contamination have occurred around
Runit Island,

For example, the test Scaevola in Operation Hardtack I was a

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