Radiation safety

Report: Nuclear material said stolen from Iran could yield 'dirty bomb'

Radioactive material produced at Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant has reportedly been stolen raising concerns about the potential use of a so-called dirty bomb in the future, according to London-based Arabic language newspaper Asharq al-Awsat.
The missing material, Iridium-192, was reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency by Iran's nuclear regulatory body earlier this month, who warned neighboring Gulf States of its possible nefarious use.
A so-called dirty bomb, or radiological dispersion device, is a conventional weapon equipped with nuclear material. The idea behind a dirty bomb is to blast radioactive material, such as powder or pellets, into the area around an explosion.