Radiological dispersal devices (RDD), also known as “dirty bombs,” are made of radioactive material and conventional explosives. They are designed to disperse radioactive material over a large area, such as multiple city blocks, using explosive force. These dirty bombs are called “weapons of mass disruption.”
Only people close to the explosion may be exposed to radiation levels, but the radiation would not be the biggest concern. Radiation, in the case of a dirty bomb, is a fear multiplier. The main purpose of using dirty bombs is to create panic rather than mass killing. This is why a dirty bomb is also called a Psychological weapon. And arming people with knowledge about what a dirty bomb really is and that the radiological portion of it is not as harmful as these terrorists make people think.
More of this in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ob7-0HCODA
