Bomba sucia es un término reciclado que actualmente se utiliza para denominar a los artefactos explosivos que diseminan elementos radiactivos en la atmósfera. Inicialmente se usó sobre todo para calificar a las bombas de fisión de bajo rendimiento así como las bombas termonucleares con cubierta físil en contraposición con las bombas limpias sin apenas residuos radiactivos (Ver Bomba atómica). Pero, más recientemente, se ha usado para denominar a uno de los posibles tipos de los llamados dispositivos de dispersión radiológica (DDR). Otra denominación que se utiliza para este artefacto es el de bomba radiológica. Tras los atentados del 11-S el tema ha cobrado actualidad ya que se considera como un arma relativamente barata de fabricar y posible candidato a ser usada por grupos terroristas. A pesar del temor suscitado entre la gente una bomba sucia no es un arma de destrucción masiva ya que no produciría gran cantidad de muertes. Sus daños sin embargo serían más fruto del pánico así como importantes daños económicos.

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A dirty bomb or radiological dispersal device (RDD) is a speculative radiological weapon that combines radioactive material with conventional explosives. The purpose of the weapon is to contaminate the area around the dispersal agent/conventional explosion with radioactive material, serving primarily as an area denial device against civilians. It is however not to be confused with a nuclear explosion, such as a fission bomb, which by releasing nuclear energy produces blast effects far in excess of what is achievable by the use of conventional explosives. Though an RDD would be designed to disperse radioactive material over a large area, a bomb that uses conventional explosives and produces a blast wave would be far more lethal to people than the hazard posed by radioactive material that may be mixed with the explosive. At levels created from probable sources, not enough radiation would be present to cause severe illness or death. A test explosion and subsequent calculations done by the United States Department of Energy found that assuming nothing is done to clean up the affected area and everyone stays in the affected area for one year, the radiation exposure would be "fairly high", but not fatal. Recent analysis of the nuclear fallout from the Chernobyl disaster confirms this, showing that the effect on many people in the surrounding area, although not those in close proximity, was almost negligible. Since a dirty bomb is unlikely to cause many deaths by radiation exposure, many do not consider this to be a weapon of mass destruction. Its purpose would presumably be to create psychological, not physical, harm through ignorance, mass panic, and terror. For this reason dirty bombs are sometimes called "weapons of mass disruption". Additionally, containment and decontamination of thousands of victims, as well as decontamination of the affected area might require considerable time and expense, rendering areas partly unusable and causing economic damage.

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