Affects of Nuclear Testing on Teeth

During above-ground nuclear testing in 1950s and 1960s, radioactive carbon-14 was produced. Although the tests were only conducted in a few places, the radiocarbon spread evenly throughout the atmosphere. Radiocarbon reacts with oxygen and forms carbon dioxide. Plants incorporate carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Humans eat those plants and the animals that eat them as well. The plants' concentration of radiocarbon is then transferred to the human body, becoming trapped inside tooth enamel. Tooth enamel is a mineral, not a live tissue, so once the carbon-14 is introduced to teeth, it becomes locked inside. Believe it or not, carbon-14 is helping forensic scientists to determine a persons' age at the time of death within a year and a half. This is accomplished by determining the amount of radiocarbon in the tooth. This was discovered by Swedish and U.S. researchers and could help to identify victims in large scale disasters, like Hurricane Katrina.