DEFINITION OF THE SECURITY STANDARDS FOR NUCLEAR TESTING
Man's environment has always contained natural radioactive subscinces. “Phey emit cays
spontancously, and man has no control over them, However, these natin ab tances bave steadily
becomeless active. and man is nowsubject toa much lower level of natural cidaition than when he
first appeared on carth.
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The discovery of natural radioactivity dates back only three quarters of a century As man
furthered his knowledge. it became possible for him to change the make-up of atomic nuclei by
bombarding them with elementary particles, thereby creating artificial radioactive clements. These
elements emit the same rays as natural radioactive clements ind also become less active with Une.
Some of the peaceful purposes that man has discovered for these rays are the use of radioisotopes in
medicine, agronomy and industry and, most importantly, the conversion of atomic energy into
- electrical energy.
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But since the first atomic bomb was detonated in Hiroshima, the possibility of using radioactivity for a destructive purpose—through nuclearfission or fusion—has becomeafact: five countries
have conducted experimental nuclear explosions in the atmosphere in order to build nuclear weapons.
For 20 years, man has therefore been exposed to the resultant radioactive fallout all over the
earth’s surface.
Handling atomic energy, whether at nuclear installations or during weapons tests, entails
a tisk that must be fully known and assessed.
‘Phere is now suflicicnt Knowledge of that rink to take ic peceautions essenta:
in order Jo safeguard people and protect property weea conducting nuclear tests
In particular, the site for the explosion should be chosen in sparscly populated parts of the
globe. Coniparison of weapons test sites shows that the French nuclear firing grounds, at Reggane in
the Sahara yesterday and in French Polynesia today, fully meet this condition.
The Lessons Learned From the Nuclear Tests
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The nuclear weapon has some destructive effects that arc similar to those of aucrat
bombsor artillery shcls armed with chemical explosives. such as blast and brat eflect
also gives off a nuclear ray that is onitially destructive although limited in tine
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