Final answer:
The correct statement about a "dirty bomb" is that they can injure with both explosive and radioactive materials. They disperse radioactive contaminants to cause fear and economic disruption, not mass destruction like nuclear bombs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct statement regarding a "dirty bomb" is A. Dirty bombs could injure victims with both radioactive material and the explosive material used to deliver it. A dirty bomb, also known as a radiological dispersal device, is a weapon that combines conventional explosives, like dynamite, with radioactive materials. The main intention of a dirty bomb is to contaminate the area around the explosion with radioactive material, thereby causing psychological fear and economic disruption rather than large-scale destruction like a nuclear bomb would.
While dirty bombs could use radioactive waste or other radioisotopes and could indeed be delivered by various means, they are not generally designed with sufficient radioactive material to cause mass destruction through radioactivity alone, as indicated in statement B. The effectiveness of a dirty bomb is more about the area and extent of contamination rather than just the amount of alpha radiation it emits, which contradicts statement C. Lastly, despite being a potential weapon of terror, dirty bombs are not considered effective weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in terms of causing massive physical damage, like a nuclear bomb, which is why statement D is incorrect.