Iran's Natanz Attacked: How Damaged Nuclear Sites Can Pose Radiation Risks
Blowing up nuclear sites could spread radioactive material across a large area and threaten human life and health.
· NDTVThe United States and Israel have struck Iran's Natanz facility, a major nuclear site. Iranian officials said there was no release of radioactive material and no danger to the public. The site lies about 220 km from Tehran.
This is not the first attack on Natanz; it was also targeted during Israel's 12-day war on Iran in June 2025.
Iran is believed to have around 400kg of highly enriched uranium, which the West believes could potentially be used to make nuclear weapons. Blowing up the sites could act like a 'dirty bomb', spreading radioactive material across a large area and threatening human life and health. The US and Israel's recent attacks on Iran suggest the worst-case scenarios have so far been avoided.
The most serious danger comes from damage to nuclear reactors. When reactors operate, nuclear fission produces highly radioactive byproducts such as Caesium-137, Strontium-90 and Iodine-131.
If released, these can spread widely. Iodine-131 is especially harmful: if inhaled or ingested, it accumulates in the thyroid gland and sharply increases the risk of cancer, particularly in children.
Uranium, especially when highly enriched, emits radiation, including gamma rays that can penetrate the human body and damage DNA. Radiation exposure can occur through inhalation of airborne particles, ingestion of contaminated food or water, or, less commonly, skin contact. Uranium is also a toxic heavy metal, meaning it can damage organs like the kidneys even without significant radiation exposure, as per a NYT report.
In nuclear enrichment sites like Natanz, uranium is less immediately dangerous than reactor byproducts. “The attack on the enrichment sites in Iran doesn't pose the same hazard as an accident with a functioning nuclear reactor,” Simon Middleburgh, professor of Nuclear Engineering at the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor University, UK, told Time Magazine.
Paddy Regan, a nuclear physics professor at the UK's University of Surrey, added, “Uranium itself is not particularly radioactive.”
Still, risks remain. Highly enriched uranium emits alpha, beta and gamma radiation. While alpha and beta particles are relatively weak, gamma rays can penetrate the human body and damage DNA, increasing cancer risk.
Uranium is also a toxic heavy metal, similar to lead. If ingested, it can cause a range of health problems like renal failure. Inhaled uranium dust can settle in the lungs and lead to long-term diseases like fibrosis.
Experts also warn of chemical dangers. Uranium processing produces toxic gases such as uranium hexafluoride and hydrogen fluoride.
“I want to make it absolutely and completely clear,” said Rafael Mariono Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), “a direct hit could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment,” referring to reactor sites.
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