Radioactive Waste

The radiological accident in Mayapuri was caused by cobalt-60 found in a scrap metal shop. The source of cobalt-60 was likely outdated medical equipment that was improperly disposed of or recycled. Workers and residents were exposed to radiation contamination due to mishandling of the radioactive material.

Three natural sources of radiation are the sun (solar radiation), radioactive elements in rocks and soil (terrestrial radiation), and cosmic rays from outer space.

On average, a human produces about 0.5 to 1 gallon of poop per day. So, in a year, that would amount to approximately 182 to 365 gallons of poop.

Yes, dubnium is harmful due to its radioactivity. It is a highly unstable element that can decay into other radioactive elements, emitting harmful radiation in the process. Exposure to dubnium can pose serious health risks.

Nuclear energy can have mixed economic impacts. On one hand, it can reduce energy costs and provide a reliable source of power, contributing to economic stability. On the other hand, building and maintaining nuclear plants can be expensive, and there are costs associated with waste storage and plant decommissioning. Additionally, the risk of accidents can have significant economic consequences.

Nuclear energy generates radioactive waste in the form of spent nuclear fuel, which contains radioactive isotopes. This waste must be stored and managed properly due to its long-term hazardous nature.

Nuclear waste is typically stored in secure facilities called nuclear waste repositories. These repositories are specially designed to safely contain and isolate the radioactive waste from the environment for long periods of time.

Sending nuclear waste to the sun is currently not technologically feasible or economically viable. The cost would be extremely high and the environmental and safety risks involved in launching such a mission would be significant. It is more practical to focus on improving nuclear waste management and disposal techniques on Earth.

Nuclear waste can emit various types of radiation, including alpha, beta, and gamma radiation. Exposure to these types of radiation can increase the risk of cancer. For example:

Alpha radiation: This type of radiation consists of alpha particles, which are relatively large and can be stopped by a sheet of paper or skin. However, if alpha-emitting radioactive materials are ingested or inhaled, they can cause significant damage to nearby cells and increase the risk of cancer, particularly lung cancer if inhaled.

Beta radiation: Beta particles are smaller and more penetrating than alpha particles. They can penetrate the skin to some extent and can cause damage if absorbed internally. Exposure to beta radiation can increase the risk of various cancers, depending on the specific radioactive material involved.

Gamma radiation: Gamma rays are highly penetrating and can pass through the body, potentially causing damage to cells and DNA. Chronic exposure to gamma radiation can increase the risk of cancer, particularly leukemia, thyroid cancer, and various solid tumors.

The exact type and level of risk depend on factors such as the type of radioactive material, the dose and duration of exposure, and how the waste is handled and stored. Proper management and disposal of nuclear waste are essential to minimize the risk of exposure and associated health effects.

It generally doesn't smell like anything. Classic "nuclear waste" -- that is, spent nuclear fuel -- is ceramic or metallic pellets.

Nuclear Energy

If you put nuclear waste in a situation where groundwater can flow over it on the way to a water course, you will obviously get contamination. Nuclear waste stores have to be very carefully considered to find locations that are safe from water access.

in the U.S it is around $96bn and in England it is about £56bn. you have to bury it deep in the ground because it is not bio-degradable and remains active for thousands of years. there is still the off chance that in the ground it can reacts with something and cause an explosion or release of harmful chemicals that come upwards so that crops and harvests contain those chemicals and then insects eat them and then other animals eat that insect and then we eat that animal and so on...

Nuclear energy as it is used to generate power can be dangerous. The nuclear reactors used to heat water to generate steam to spin turbines to generate electricity must be operated by individuals who know what they are doing. If something goes wrong, the duty crew must make all the right decisions and make them first time, every time. Failure to do so can cause structural elements of the core to fail and release both nuclear fuel and waste into the coolant passages in the core. (The fuel rods are designed to hold everything inside throughout the life of the fuel bundle.) This is what happened at Three Mile Island. Both mechanical failure and the failure of the duty crew to react correctly caused a meltdown. Spent fuel presents its own special problems. Fuel bundles must be recovered from the reactor and taken away and stored for an extremely long period of time before radiation levels are low enough to try to do anything with them. Fission byproducts are highly radioactive, and remain so for tens of thousands of years. Links are provided for further reading.

In the US they are stored in the complete spent fuel rods which are stored on power plant sites in water filled tanks. In some places dry storage has also had to be used, because the water tanks are full. In the UK and in France they are stored on site for a while and then taken to a central processing site (Sellafield in the UK)

Spent fuel is stored under water because the residual radioactivity of the fission products is still appreciable and has a long half life. If there is any slight damage to the fuel cladding, probably due to corrosion, even a pinhole fault, the water can become contaminated, and it's difficult to clean up.

alpha particles, beta particles, gamma radiation