FIRST LIGHTNING

“First Lightning” was the first Soviet nuclear weapon test which detonated a plutonium bomb,
the RDS-1. It is also known in its code name, Joe-1, in reference to Joseph Stalin. It was test-
exploded on August 29, 1949 at Semipalantinsk, Kazakhstan. The bombings of Nagasaki and
Hiroshima, Japan prompted Joseph Stalin to order the development of nuclear weapons within
five years. Igor Kurchativ was the nuclear physicist in charged of the project.

The RDS-1 explosion was designed after the Fat Man bomb which was dropped in Nagasaki,
Japan during the World War II. In order to measure the effects of the blasts, the Soviet scientists
constructed buildings, bridges and other civilian structures in the vicinity of the bomb. They also
placed animals in cages to test the efffects of nuclear radiation on human-like mammals. The
bomb yielded 20 kilotons, making it about the same size as Trinity, the first US atomic test.

The Philippines, however, did not conduct its own nuclear test even though the presence of
American military bases where believed to house nuclear weapons. Although the country did not
develop its own nuclear weapons, it did develop its first rocket missile “Bongbong” and
successful test was made at Caballo island. Toxicology of the military hazardous wastes of liquid
rocket systems deals more on the rocket propellant, which is needed to carry the projectile to its
target.

Radioactive metals are produced in various nuclear processes, and they have been released into
the environment during nuclear weapon testing, accidents at nuclear power plants and from
nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. Not only does atomic bombs cause destruction of geological and
ecological structure,it also causes radioactive fallout and genetic mutation to any living
organisms exposed.

With the nuclear test of the Soviet, it gave extra contribution on the knowlegde of toxic effects of
nuclear weapons, with Fat Man bomb as the initial contributor. The results of the test made
contribution on the advances of nuclear science and most significantly, understanding the
biological and health effects or radiation and radioactivity. These advances made predated major
developments in chemical toxicology

References:
Marrs, T.,et al. Chemical Warfare Agents: Toxicology and Treatment. John Wiley & Sons,
May 2007
Hayes, A.,et al. Hayes' Principles and Methods of Toxicology, Sixth Edition. CRC Press.
October 2014.
http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/First+Lightning
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/soviets-explode-atomic-bomb
http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Russia/Sovwpnprog.html
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/bomb/peopleevents/pandeAMEX53.html?utm_mediu
m=N/A&utm_campaign=N/A&linkId=28093497
http://atomicbombmuseum.org/3_radioactivity.shtml
 FIRST LIGHTING/ JOE-1: First Soviet Atomic Explosion

On 29 August 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, “RDS-1”. This test marked the
beginning of the “Cold War” nuclear arms race between the two superpowers.