Nuclear power has long since been considered a great way to generate massive amounts of electricity without emitting any greenhouse gas pollution. However, the rare nuclear disaster poses a rather significant threat to humans and the environment to which it is exposed. The storage of nuclear, or radioactive waste can also be cause for concern about health and safety of the general public. Nuclear power operations have become more strict over the years, but tons of hazardous waste materials are produced every year, which is difficult to transport and shift around. Despite tight efforts to keep nuclear disasters at a minimum, nuclear waste still poses many dangers. Storage containers made of steel and concrete are designed to keep nuclear waste from leaking out and harming anything in the vicinity, however, there are other dangers are involved in the storing of radioactive materials.
1. Long half life: The products of nuclear fission have long half lives, meaning the bi-products will continue to emit radiation for a long, long time to come. We're talking thousands of years! If anything were to happen to the storage container, a nuclear facility would have a dangerous radioactive leak on their hands.
2. Storage: As mentioned in previous blog posts, storing methods in themselves pose a threat of a nuclear waste mishap. The steel and concrete storage cells are relatively cheap and are stored out in the open air. If one were to be punctured, the radiation would already be exposed to the surrounding environment. Cooling pools are not exempt from the worries, as you will notice by referring to post Safer Storage for Spent Nuclear Fuel Rods.
3. Effects on Nature: Generally, the huge steel and concrete drums are purported to safely seal in radioactive material, but when leaks occur, effects can be extremely hazardous to plant and animal life. Side-effects can include cancerous growths or genetic mutations that may be present for many generations following exposure.
4. Human Health Effects: Arguably the most important concern of improper radioactive waste disposal are the negative effects that it can have on the human body when exposed to radiation. Immediate effects of exposure include rapid sickness, such as headaches and vomiting, while long term effects can cause cancer, benign tumors, cataracts, and even death. Other issues involved with nuclear disposal accidents can be observed in historical accidents, such as Chernobyl, where an entire town was evacuated and is still off limits to this day. Monetary expenses are also a big concern when considering clean up of any degree of nuclear exposure.
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