nuclear, biological, chemical (NBC) weapons
Weapons that disperse biological, chemical, or radioactive agents to inflict
injury or cause contamination or damage. A dirty bomb using a conventional explosion
to disperse radioactive contaminants would be included under the first category,
as would a nuclear device that relies on nuclear fission to generate an explosion.
Examples of biological agents would include anthrax and smallpox. Examples of
chemical agents would include mustard gas, ricin, VX, and sarin gas. Due to
the truly catastrophic exposure they pose, insurers generally exclude coverage
for NBC perils—or seek a substantially higher premium to cover them—even when
covering other acts of terrorism. See also Dirty bomb.