Over 2000 nuclear explosions have marred the last 8 decades, leaving a lasting impact on the global landscape

In the aftermath of World War II, the nuclear age began with the United States dropping atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This marked the start of a period of extensive nuclear testing, which would have far-reaching consequences for communities around the globe.

One such area was the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas, where thousands of nuclear tests were conducted between 1951 and 1962. Residents living downwind from the site, including Mary Dickson who grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, were often exposed to radioactive fallout. However, widespread government compensation to those affected was limited, controversial, and only provided in certain cases through specific legislation like the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA).

The Marshall Islands, a collection of atolls in the Pacific Ocean, were another site of extensive nuclear testing. Between 1946 and 1958, the US conducted 67 known tests in the Marshall Islands, which had a total explosive yield equivalent to 7,232 Hiroshima bombs. As a result, five islands were partially or completely destroyed, and parts of the Marshall Islands are still contaminated almost 70 years on. The US did clean up some parts of the Marshall Islands, but much of the waste was dumped on the atoll of Enewetak in an unlined crater covered with a concrete cap, known as the Runit Dome.

The health effects of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands have been well-documented. An NCI study conducted in the Marshall Islands projected that between 0.4% and 3.4% of lifetime cancers among Marshallese living there between 1948 and 1970 might be caused by radiation exposure. Studies conducted in the region surrounding the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakhstan found that cancer and infant mortality rates during the most intensive period of nuclear testing were higher than elsewhere in the country.

The process of "bioaccumulation" also means that some radioactive isotopes become concentrated in food sources, posing a further risk to those living near testing sites. This is particularly concerning in light of the fact that it is generally accepted in the medical community that radiation exposure increases the risk of cancer, depending on the level of exposure.

The experiences of those affected by nuclear testing in Kazakhstan are not unique, and are shared with other affected communities in the Pacific, French Polynesia, the Marshall Islands, Australia, and Hiroshima. Thousands of Marshallese now live in Springdale, Arkansas, where they preserve their people's culture, and also in smaller communities in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

Mary Dickson, a playwright and advocate, has firsthand experience of the impact of nuclear testing. She grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the 1950s and 60s and was taught "duck and cover" in case of a nuclear war. Dickson has suffered from thyroid cancer, and her older sister passed away from lupus in her 40s. Her younger sister has intestinal cancer that has spread to other parts of her body, and her nieces have health issues too.

The US Department of Energy has not yet responded to CNN's request for comment on the safety of the Runit Dome, which was built to contain the waste from nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands. It is clear, however, that the legacy of nuclear testing continues to affect communities around the world, and that much work remains to be done to address the health and environmental consequences of this era.

Over 2000 nuclear explosions have marred the last 8 decades, leaving a lasting impact on the global landscape