Transcript Radioactive

Radioactive Waste: The Story
of Chelyabinsk
By Almira Dukovic
Biology 2B
The Pros and Cons of Nuclear
Power
Pro
1.
2.
3.
4.
The type of power it produces is
enough to sustain this planet.
France and Japan have about
80% of their electrical power
come from nuclear power.
Uranium, which is used in
nuclear power is one of the most
abundant elements in the earth’s
crust.
Fossil fuels are far more
pollutive.
–
–
No greenhouse gases are
produced.
Cheapest form of energy
Con
1.
2.
3.
The refining process of uranium
hurts the environment because
toxic substances like sulfur are
produced.
Radioactive elements that are
produced like uranium 238 and
235 have half lives in the
hundred of millions. (Substances
are considered safe after 10 half
lives.)
The byproduct of nuclear energy
is steam and radioactive waste.
What is Radioactive Waste?
• Radioactive wastes can
be many objects in a
variety of materials that
give off some amount of
radioactivity (radiation).
• Radioactive waste is a by
product of nuclear power.
There are 3 types of Radioactive Wastes:
•
•
•
Low-level Wastes: Usually include
paper, tools, and clothing and
comes from places like hospitals
and laboratories. These wastes
are not dangerous to handle.
Intermediate-level Wastes: These
objects have higher amounts of
radioactivity and may require
special shielding. Buried deep
underground.
High-level Wastes: Usually
comprises of spent fuel. Highly
radioactive and must be placed
inside stainless steel canisters
and deposited deep underground.
Exposure to Radioactive Wastes
• Everybody is exposed to some form of naturally occurring
radioactive elements from the cosmos, the air we breathe, and the
earth we live on.
• With moderate level exposure, the effects are often delayed for
years and results in cancer.
• High level exposure can cause the death of cells and organ
functions. Death can range from a few seconds to several days.
Chelyabinsk
• A region in Russia that is
1,000 miles east of
Moscow in the Ural
Mountains.
• Home to about 3.6 million
people.
• Suffered from 3 different
instances of radioactive
waste.
• Interesting example of
what radioactive waste
can cause.
The First Incident…
• From 1948-1951 contaminated waste from
Chelyabinsk’s 13 military reactors was dumped
in the Techa River and Lake Karachay.
• The Russians refused to dispose the radioactive
waste properly.
• 24 of the villages living on the banks of the river
were not warned of the possible radiation.
The Second Incident…
• In 1957, a nuclear waste
storage tank exploded.
• A 5 mile wide radioactive
cloud sprawled across
this region.
• 270,000 people were
infected and only 10,000
people were evacuated
about 18 months later.
The fence around Mayak
The Third Incident…
• In 1967, after a 2 year drought, Lake
Karachay’s waters disappeared.
• Now the radioactive sediments of the lake
were exposed to open air.
• Now, forty years later, the lake’s sediments
still contain 100 times the amount of
radiation released at Chernobyl.
The Devastating Effects…
• Mark Hertsgaard, an independent journalist and author,
wrote in a 1992 article that radiation from the Techa
River is equal to the amount released by the atomic
bomb in Hiroshima.
• The government refused to warn the villagers living in
the area not to fish or drink the contaminated water.
• The average life expectancy for these people is at about
55 years.
• Over half of the adults at child bearing age are sterile.
• Many types of cancers are prevalent in this area.
More Devastating Effects…
• The area where the nuclear storage tank exploded in 1957 is
still unlivable for 20,000 years due to the vast amounts of
plutonium that is there.
• “A person standing on the lake shore near the area where
wastes are discharged from the plant would receive about 600
roentgens of radiation, a lethal dose, in an hour. The lake is
now being filled with hollow concrete blocks, rock, and soil to
reduce the dispersion of radioactivity”
(http://www.logtv.com/films/chelyabinsk/nuclear.htm)
• People in the area still fish and pick berries and mushrooms
along Techa River’s banks further infecting the people.
How I Would Study This Problem
• Take blood samples of the people that are
currently living in Chelyabinsk.
• Water samples and samples from the
animals living in the Techa River to study
the amounts of radiation.
• Soil samples from all the villages.
For Further Reading…
• www.american.edu/TED/ural.htm
• www.logtv.com/films/chelyabinsk/nuclear.h
tm
• www.uic.com.au/wast.htm