Lapho i-US ingena enkathini yenuzi, yenza kanjalo ngokunganaki. Ucwaningo olusha lusikisela ukuthi izindleko ezifihlekile zokwakhiwa kwezikhali zenuzi zazinkulu kakhulu kunezilinganiso zangaphambilini, ngokuwa kweradioactive okubangela ukufa kwabantu baseMelika abangu-340,000 690,000 kuya ku-1951 1973 kusukela ngo-XNUMX kuya ku-XNUMX.
Ucwaningo, olwenziwe ngu Isazi sezomnotho saseNyuvesi yase-Arizona uKeith Meyers, usebenzisa indlela yenoveli (pdf) ukulandelela imiphumela ebulalayo yale misebe, eyayivame ukusetshenziswa abantu baseMelika abaphuza ubisi kude nendawo yokuhlolwa kwe-athomu.
Kusukela ngo-1951 kuya ku-1963, i-US yahlola izikhali zenuzi ngaphezu komhlabathi eNevada. Abacwaningi bezikhali, ngenxa yokungaziqondi izingozi—noma ukumane bangazinaki—bachaya izinkulungwane zezisebenzi ekuweni kwemisebe. Okuphumayo okuvela ekuphenduleni kwe-nuclear kuyabulala kubantu ngemithamo ephezulu, futhi kungabangela umdlavuza ngisho nangemithamo ephansi. Ngesinye isikhathi, abacwaningi baba namavolontiya ame ngaphansi kwesikhali senuzi esiqhuma emoyeni ukufakazela ukuthi bekuphephe kangakanani:
Ukukhishwa, nokho, akuzange nje kuhlale endaweni yokuhlolwa, futhi kukhukhulekile emkhathini. Amazinga omdlavuza enyuke emiphakathini eseduze, futhi uhulumeni wase-US wayengeke esakwazi ukwenza sengathi ukuhlaselwa kwakungeyena umbulali othule.
Izindleko ngamadola nezimpilo
Congress ekugcineni ikhokhwe ngaphezu kwezigidigidi ezimbili zamaRandi kubahlali bezindawo eziseduze ezazichayeke ikakhulukazi emisebeni, kanye nakubavukuzi be-uranium. Kodwa imizamo yokulinganisa izinga eligcwele lokuhluleka kokuhlolwa yayingaqiniseki neze, njengoba yayithembele emiphumeleni yokwengeza isuka emiphakathini ethinteke kakhulu iye ezingeni likazwelonke. Eyodwa isilinganiso sikazwelonke esitholiwe ukuhlolwa kwabangela ukufa kuka-49,000 komdlavuza.
Lezo zilinganiso, nokho, azizange zithwebule uhla oluphelele lwemiphumela ngokuhamba kwesikhathi nendawo. U-Meyers udale isithombe esibanzi ngendlela yokuqondisisa kwe-macabre: Lapho izinkomo zidla i-radioactive fallout esakazwa umoya womoya, ubisi lwazo lwaba umzila oyinhloko wokudlulisela ukugula ngemisebe kubantu. Ukukhiqizwa kobisi okuningi ngalesi sikhathi kwakungokwendawo, izinkomo zidla emadlelweni futhi ubisi lwazo luhanjiswe emiphakathini eseduze, okunikeza uMeyers indlela yokulandelela umsakazo ezweni lonke.
I-National Cancer Institute inamarekhodi yenani le-Iodine 131-isotope eyingozi ekhishwe ekuhlolweni kwe-Nevada-ebisini, kanye nedatha ebanzi mayelana nokuchayeka emisebeni. Ngokuqhathanisa le datha namarekhodi okufa kwabantu bezinga lesifunda, uMeyers wathola okuthile okubalulekile: “Ukuchayeka esikhunjeni esibangelwa ubisi kuholela ekwenyukeni okusheshayo nokuqhubekayo kwezinga lokufa okungenasisekelo.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, le miphumela yasekelwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Ukuhlolwa kwezikhali zenuzi e-US kungenzeka kubulale abantu abaphindwe kasikhombisa kuye kwayi-14 kunalokho ebesikucabanga, ikakhulukazi maphakathi nentshonalanga nasenyakatho-mpumalanga.
Isikhali ngokumelene nabantu bayo
Ngenkathi i-US isebenzisa izikhali zenuzi phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, iqhumisa amabhomu emadolobheni ase-Japan e-Hiroshima naseNagasaki, izilinganiso eziguquguqukayo ziphakamisa ukuthi abantu abangu-250,000 bafa ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho. Ngisho nalabo ababethuswe ukuqhuma kwamabhomu abazange babone ukuthi i-US izosebenzisa izikhali ezifanayo ngokumelene nabantu bayo, ngengozi, nangesilinganiso esifanayo.
Futhi ukumiswa kokuhlolwa kwezikhali zenuzi kwasiza ekusindiseni izimpilo zase-US—“I-Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty ingase isindise phakathi kwezigidi eziyi-11.7 nezingu-24.0 izimpilo zaseMelika,” kulinganisela uMeyers. Kuphinde kwaba nenhlanhla ethile ebambe iqhaza ekwehliseni inani labantu abanobuthi: I-Nevada Test Site, uma iqhathaniswa nezinye izindawo zokuhlola okungenzeka uhulumeni wase-US ayezibheka ngaleso sikhathi, yakhiqiza ukuhlakazeka okuphansi komkhathi.
Imiphumela eqhubekayo yalezi zivivinyo isekhona, ithule futhi inzima njengama-isotopes ngokwawo. Izigidi zabantu baseMelika abachayeka ekuguleni kungenzeka baphathwe yizifo ezihlobene nalezi zivivinyo nanamuhla, njengoba bethatha umhlalaphansi futhi bethembele kuhulumeni wase-US ukuthi axhase ukunakekelwa kwabo kwezempilo.
“Leli phepha lembula ukuthi baningi abantu abalimala eMpini Yomshoshaphansi kunalokho obekucatshangwa ngaphambili, kodwa izinga umphakathi osathwele ngalo izindleko zeMpi Yomshoshaphansi kusewumbuzo ovulekile,” kuphetha uMeyers.
