During the 1940s and 50s, nuclear bombs were detonated during both their development and the horrific, unnecessary bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Predictably, these bombs introduced radiation into the environment. There were lingering effects, particularly in the realm of steel production. Converting pig iron into steel requires pumping oxygen into the heated iron. After the 1940s, the ambient radiation in the air caused issues in radioactive sensitive applications. This created a demand for steel that was created before World War II, which led to firms illegally scavenging shipwrecked ships.