The first nuclear test was carried out by the United States in July 1945, followed by the Soviet Union in 1949, the United Kingdom in 1952, France in 1960 and the China in 1964. production, testing, and use of nuclear weapons can affect the social and natural world in a variety of ways. “Nuclear weapons represent the greatest environmental danger to the planet from humans, not global warming or ozone depletion.” Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The ozone layer, which protects the Earth's surface from harmful ultraviolet rays, is said to be depleted by 40% in many areas inhabited and up to 70% at the poles, tens of millions of people would die, global temperatures would plummet, and most of the planet would be unable to grow crops for more than five years after conflict. Nuclear weapons testing, responsible for the radioactive contamination of a large number of sites around the world. The amount of radioactivity generated by a nuclear explosion can vary depending on the size of the weapon and the location of the explosion. A ground-level explosion can be expected to generate more dust and other radioactive particles than an airborne explosion. This dispersion of radioactive materials also depends on weather conditions. The explosive components of nuclear weapons are made of either uranium or plutonium, two radioactive elements. Radioactive waste emits ionizing radiation during the radioactive decay process and is dangerous to the environment and most forms of life. At the nuclear level, ionizing radiation can cause induced radioactivity and nuclear transmutation. Ionization can lead to the destruction of chemical bonds, and materials contaminated with radioactivity continue to react chemically with other elements after the original ionizing radiation has ceased. Exposure to high levels of radiation can cause acute radiation syndrome, a constellation of health effects defined by cellular degradation and damage to DNA structure. Immediately, radiation exposure causes immune system failure and can damage the bone marrow as well as the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper from our expert now. The main contribution to the exposure of the world's population [to radiation] came from atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons from 1945 to 1980. Each nuclear test resulted in the unbridled release into the environment of substantial quantities of substances radioactive. materials widely dispersed in the atmosphere and deposited throughout the Earth's surface.”