After a nuclear explosion has occurred, harmful radioactive material is released into the atmosphere. The debris in due course descends to the surface of the earth and pollutes whatever material it comes in contact with.
This debris, called ‘fallout’ is produced by all nuclear bombs – atom bomb or hydrogen bomb – even if they have been exploded for peaceful purposes. The debris once released into the atmosphere is carried by winds around the world and slowly brought down to the earth either by gravity or by rainfall. The fallout that occurs immediately after an explosion is highly radioactive and will kill living things located near the blast site. The delayed fallout may occur after a few weeks or a number of years. This causes long-term radiation damage to all living things: plants, animals and humans over a vast area. Some of the fallout elements may get into the bodies of living organisms.
The Pokhran explosions were done underground by Indian scientists to keep the fallout to a minimum.
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