Effects of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in an Independent Kazakhstan

                 Effects of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in an Independent Kazakhstan

Nuclear weapons testing has been put into practice by the United States, Soviet Union,

United Kingdom, France, China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea. Although

these countries all have different intentions in why they are testing these nuclear weapons, such

testing has had grave affects to the region and the people that inhabit it. For example, the envi

ronment is destroyed and made uninhabitable. Radiation that is produced by the nuclear weapons

causes illness and/or death within days after the weapon has been detonated . Dur

ing the Cold War, the Soviet Union conducted multiple nuclear tests within the Soviet republics,

including present-day Kazakhstan. The Semipalatinsk Test Site changed the outlook of  the sig

nificance of nuclear weapons within the region. The aftermath of nuclear testing in Semipalatin

sk, Kazakh SSR, left a toll on the humans in the region, for instance, such as long-term health

problems, as well as on the environment, which prompted a specific agenda of becoming nuclear

weapons-free in newly independent Kazakhstan through the formation of allies, creation of

treaties, and new domestic policies.

Nuclear Tests Held in Kazakh SSR

 The nuclear testing in the region determined the future for Kazakhstan. Between 1949

and 1989, the Soviet Union held up to 459 nuclear tests in Semipalatinsk . 87

of those were atmospheric, 26 were ground, and 346 were held underground. All of these meth

ods ultimately had drastic affects on both the land and its people. The first nuclear test for the

USSR was held at the Semipalatinsk Test Site on August 29, 1949. Two hours after this test, a

large radioactive contamination occurred and inhabitants were exposed to the radiation. The second nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site, also known as the “Polygon”,

was held on August 12, 1953. Residents were evacuated for three days after the ex

plosion due to a radioactive cloud that passed at a wind speed higher than expected. The 191 res

idents who did not evacuate in time were exposed to radiation . The third nu

clear test was held on January 15, 1965. It was exploded underground under the pretense that the

USSR was constructing a dam for peaceful use. The explosive power was 30 times that of Hi

roshima. The result is a lake known to the inhabitants as “Atomic Lake”.

Three of the first nuclear tests already had severe consequences on the region and it only contin

ued. In the late 1980’s, before the collapse of the Soviet Union, American scientists arrived in

Semipalatinsk to monitor the underground testing of nuclear weapons. The aim of this was to

show that even very small explosions can be detected by sensitive instruments and created a con

fidence that a ban on nuclear explosions could be policed. Following the collapse

of the Soviet Union and the birth of new nations, the Semipalatinsk Test Site in newfound Kaza

khstan was repeatedly ransacked with only specialized electronic equipment being stolen. Semi

palatinsk is a dangerous area. It stores 3.5 tons of spent fuel, which it is unable to send back to

Russia. This fuel includes a significant proportion of potential weapons-grade plutonium. This is dangerous for the country as the thieves could use this nuclear fuel to their

advantage. The United States sees this as a risk not only domestically, but internationally due to

Semipalatinsk’s location 200 miles from Iran’s border. Paired with the Unit

ed States, Kazakhstan pursued its nuclear-weapons free agenda.

Effects on Humans and the Environment

 The testing of nuclear weapons preformed by the Soviet Union had a negative toll on the

people of Semipalatinsk that the domestic politics after independence would be solely focused on

nuclear weapons testing. Since the first nuclear test to present-day, they are dealing with the con

sequences of all of the nuclear testing radiation that has been embedded into their DNA and

passed on into future generations. Natalya Zhdanova, who lived in the region from 1968 to 2000,

recounted that announcements would be made about the tests, along with movie show times and

weather forecasts. It is evident that the nuclear tests were a casual occurrence

and no precautions were taken. Suakysh Iskakova expressed, “When I was blinded from the

blast, my uncle took me to see the doctor and the doctor said it was my own fault that I looked at

the bright light from the explosion” (Taipei Times 2011). These issues resulting from testing nu

clear weapons were not addressed and treated correctly, as they continued on into later genera

tions. A 2008 study by Kazakh and Japanese doctors concluded that the population in Semi

palatinsk and surrounding areas received more than 500 millisieverts of radiation in one expo

sure. In comparison to the USA, where the average American is exposed to about 3 millisieverts

of background radiation each year. With the advancement of technology there

are signs of radiation, however, the amount of radiation emitted from the nuclear testing super

sedes that of a laptop or other electronic device. Radiation has had a profound effect on the peo

ple of the region in that it has altered the way they live. A majority of the 220,000 affected people

were exposed to an estimated dose between 7 millisieverts and 350 millisieverts. The Kazakh and Japanese doctors noted that the rate of cancer of those living in the re

gion remains 25-30 percent higher than elsewhere in the country. In fact, can

cer rates in the area of Semipalatinsk are twice as high as the national average, and it is estimated

that birth defects are up to ten times higher. There is a higher chance of mental defi

ciencies in children born to parents who were exposed to radioactive fallout from the testing.

This includes nightmares, depression, frustration, agitation, and more while the physical toll in

cludes hemorrhaging of respiratory tracts, mouths, genitals, and changes in mucous and skin.  

 These tests also impacted the environment negatively by altering the land. Crops could no