Radioactive Pollution

P Revanth Rao
Venkataramana
 The radioactive pollution is defined as the
physical pollution of living organisms and their environment as
a result of release of radioactive substances into the
environment during nuclear explosions and testing of nuclear
weapons, nuclear weapon production and decommissioning,
mining of radioactive ores.

Radioactive pollution has diverse effects, such as the

alteration of cells. The bodies of living organisms are unique
as within it, there are millions of cells in one single body,
where each has its own purpose to fulfill. Radiation distorts
 the cells present, leading to permanent damage of the
various organs and organ systems. In the face of too much
radiation, permanent illnesses and death are inevitable.

Chernobyl Disaster Case Study

Chernobyl Disaster: The Worst Nuclear Disaster in

History 100 times more radioactivity than Hiroshima

Where is Chernobyl?
-In Northern Ukraine
-10
miles
away
from

Belarus
-80 miles North of Kiev
 http://students.vassar.edu/mezegen/Eastern%20Europe%20Map.gif
http://studiohousebooks.co.uk/chernobyl/Chernobyl/chernobyl.html

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant

• Located 11 miles north of the city of
Chernobyl • Plant consisted of 4 reactors
• Produced 10% of Ukraine’s electricity
• Construction began in the 1970’s
• Reactor #4 was completed in 1983
• At the time of
the accident,
reactors #5
and #6 were
in progress.

• Type: Reaktor
Bolshoy Moshehnosty Kipyashiy (RBMK)
• RBMK, a Russian acronym translated roughly means
“reactor (of) high power (of the) channel (type)”
• reactor cooled by water and moderated by graphitesteam

What happened?
 Saturday, April 26,
1986:

-Reactor #4 was undergoing a

test to test the backup
power supply in case of a
power loss.

-The power fell too low,

allowing the concentration
of xenon-135 to rise.

-The workers continued the

test, and in order to control
the rising levels of xenon-
135, the control rods were
pulled out.
 http://www.ukrainianweb.com/images/chernobyl/chernobyl_reactor.jpg

The Reactor After the Explosion

After the explosion, most of the plant is still standing.Some
might think from this picture that the disaster wasn’t all that
bad, but what makes the Chernobyl disaster the worst in history
is the sheer volume of radioactive materials that where spewed
across the European continent.
Summary of Facts
• April 26, 1986:
– Chernobyl nuclear
power
plant
• Operator errors cause a
reactor
explosion
• Explosion releases 190
 tons of
radioactive gasses into the
atmosphere
• Fire starts that lasts 10 days
• People:
– 7 million lived in
contaminated areas; 3 million
were children
• Wind:
– Carries radiation far distances
-were hospitalized immediately due to acute radiation
sickness.
- 31 of them eventually died. Most of these people were
workers in the plant or local firefighters.
 http://www.cmc.ec.gc.ca/~arqidor/ctbto/ctbt3.html

tos/Disaster/Chernobyl%2002%20robotic%20inspector.jpg
liquidators
 involved in th

Long term Impact (cont)

• Residual radioactivity in the
environment – Rivers, lakes and
reservoirs
• Levels of radioactivity in drinking water caused concern
during the weeks and months after the accident.
– Groundwater
• Groundwater was not badly affected since radionuclides
– Fauna and vegetation
• pine forest in the 10km2 surrounding of the reactor turned
ginger brown and died, earning the name of the "Red Forest“ •
 • Health Effects
– Thyroid cancers
• A large increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer
has occurred among young children contaminated areas of
Belarus, the Russian
Federation and Ukraine.
• Radioactive iodine was deposited in pastures eaten
by cows who then concentrated it in their milk which was
subsequently drunk by children
– Leukaemia and non-thyroid solid cancer
• An elevated risk of leukaemia was first found among the
survivors of the atomic bombings in Japan some two to five years
after exposure.
• Need confirmation in well-designed epidemiological studies.
– Mental health and psychological effects
– hereditary effects and children's health
• Birth defects, infertility