What were some of the immediate health effects caused by atomic bombs?

What were some of the immediate health effects caused by atomic bombs?

The uranium bomb detonated over Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 had an explosive yield equal to 15,000 tonnes of TNT. It razed and burnt around 70 per cent of all buildings and caused an estimated 140,000 deaths by the end of 1945, along with increased rates of cancer and chronic disease among the survivors.

What do you think the long term effects of the atomic bomb were?

Among the long-term effects suffered by atomic bomb survivors, the most deadly was leukemia. An increase in leukemia appeared about two years after the attacks and peaked around four to six years later. The Radiation Effects Research Foundation estimates the attributable risk of leukemia to be 46% for bomb victims.

What health effects have been seen among the children born to atomic bomb survivors?

The most common defects seen at birth were anencephaly, cleft palate, cleft lip with or without cleft palate, club foot, polydactyly (additional finger or toe), and syndactyly (fusion of two or more fingers or toes). These abnormalities accounted for 445 of the 594 (75%) malformed infants in Table 3.

When did the US drop the atomic bomb on Japan?

On August 6, the U.S. dropped a uranium gun-type bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, calling for Japan’s surrender. Three days later, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki. These two bombings killed at least 129,000 people.

How did the atomic bomb affect the health of people?

The RERF’s most significant finding was that the radiation from the atomic bombs has led to an increased risk of cancer mortality throughout the lives of those exposed. [1] Specifically, cancer mortality for stomach, lung, liver, colon, breast, ovary, and other major sites was found to be significantly higher.

Why was Hiroshima chosen for the atomic bomb?

This section recounts the first atomic bombing. Hiroshima was chosen as the primary target since it had remained largely untouched by bombing raids, and the bomb’s effects could be clearly measured.

When was the first use of the atomic bomb?

On the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the National Security Archive updates its 2005 publication of the most comprehensive on-line collection of declassified U.S. government documents on the first use of the atomic bomb and the end of the war in the Pacific.