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Mysterious zinc-cadmium sulfide: How amazing was the secret experiment of the US military in the 1960s?
During the Cold War, the U.S. military conducted a series of covert operations to test and confirm the spread of its chemical weapons. Operation LAC (Large Area Coverage) is a typical example. It was conducted between 1957 and 1958 and used zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnCdS) as a test material. The military did not reveal its true purpose at the time, nor did they disclose its true purpose. This is alarming and disturbing considering the health impact on the public.
Past Tests
Prior to Operation LAC, the U.S. military conducted several tests, including simulated attacks as early as 1950 and 1952, and actual experiments in 1957.
These experiments undoubtedly paved the way for subsequent LAC operations and demonstrated their feasibility.For example, five experiments conducted in South Carolina and Georgia in 1952 showed that local meteorological conditions could allow aerosol clouds to spread over long distances, perhaps hundreds of miles.
Implementation of Operation LAC
The primary purpose of Operation LAC is to test and confirm the diffusion capability of chemical or biological agents. The military used C-119 "flying box" transport aircraft to release tons of zinc cadmium sulfide into the skies over the United States. The first test was conducted on December 2, 1957, from South Dakota to International Falls, Minnesota.
The results of these tests undoubtedly provide important data for the military's use of chemical weapons.Participating ground monitoring stations tracked these fluorescent zinc cadmium sulfide particles and were surprised to find that some of the particles were carried up to 1,200 miles away by wind.
Test Scope and Results
According to the data, the testing scope of Operation LAC was so extensive that it was recorded in the records of the United States Congress.
Such behavior made the entire North America a military testing ground. Potential health risksA document titled "Summary of Major Events and Problems" noted that these were the largest tests ever conducted by the Chemical Corps, stretching from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico.
Zinc-cadmium sulfide has been used in tests to simulate biological weapons, but has sparked controversy due to its potential health risks.
Many studies today point out that zinc cadmium sulfide may be a potential carcinogen. This has caused unease among many who have been exposed to the substance, especially in covert military operations where they were not fully informed.Although government studies have shown that there would be no health effects at the concentrations at that time, there is still a lot of doubt about this.
Public reaction and subsequent impact
Among the critics of Operation LAC, some have pointed out that the military is simply "using the country as an experimental laboratory." This not only raises questions about ethics, but also fundamentally changes the level of trust that the American people have in their government. As vigilance against chemical and biological weapons increases, so does society's awareness of regulation of such actions.
ConclusionThe secrecy and opacity of Operation LAC are eerie. Over time, these events have revealed not only Cold War military tensions but also prompted a reckoning over the boundaries governments draw between national security and the health of their citizens. Today, faced with complex biosecurity challenges, how should we view the implications of these historical events for the future?
