Cell Phones May Play Key Role In Anti-Terrorism Efforts

One of the more feared terrorist attack scenarios in large population centers is not that of an actual nuclear detonation, but rather a so-called “dirty bomb” attack.  In this kind of attack, conventional explosives are used to disperse radioactive materials over an area to cause illness, create panic, and disrupt normal activities by requiring a clean-up of the contaminated area.

In the future, cell phones could be outfitted with automatic radiation sensors that could detect radioactive residue nearby to help thwart such an attack.  The cell phone would automatically contact a security network upon detection, and provide its GPS coordinates.  According to the Purdue researchers developing the system, Ephraim Fischbach and Jere Jenkins, “Such a system could blanket the nation with millions of cell phones equipped with radiation sensors able to detect even light residues of radioactive material. Because cell phones already contain global positioning locators, the network of phones would serve as a tracking system” allowing the “dirty bomb” and potential terrorist to be intercepted.  The Purdue website reports that “the researchers tested the system in November, demonstrating that it is capable of detecting a weak radiation source 15 feet from the sensors.”