This document discusses radioactive pollution and nuclear accidents. It begins with an overview of topics to be covered, including radiation, sources of radioactive pollution, types of radioactive pollution, effects of radiation exposure, nuclear energy, nuclear hazards and accidents, and prevention measures. It then covers radiation and its sources, natural sources of radiation like cosmic rays and terrestrial radiation, and artificial sources like nuclear power plants and medical waste. It discusses the types, toxicity and health effects of radioactive pollution. The document provides a brief history of nuclear energy and accidents like Chernobyl and Fukushima. It concludes with suggestions for preventing radioactive pollution like proper waste disposal and regular monitoring.

1. Radioactive Pollution
& Nuclear Accidents
Labhesh Parakh
Presented by –
Presented on – 5th December, 2020; Saturday
Bsc.
Biotechnology
(2020-21)
Submitted to ~
Dr. Anil Kumar
(Faculty of Life Sciences)
Environmental Studies’

2. Overview
❑ Radiation
❑ Sources of radiation
❑ Types of radioactive pollution
❑ Toxicity & Effects
❑ Nuclear Energy
❑ Nuclear Hazard & Accidents
❑ Prevention
❑ Safety measures

3. ✓ Introduction
Radioactive pollution
• Emission of high energy particles or radioactive
substances into air, water or land due to human
activities in the form of radioactive waste.
Cause
• Addition of radiation to environment by using
radioactive elements.

4. ✓Radiation
Radiation, that is given off by nuclear waste is extremely
damaging to organisms because it causes mutations at a
very high rate.
At high doses, nuclear radiation is lethal but
even at low doses, it is Carcinogenic.
Therefore, nuclear waste is an extremely potent
pollutant & has to be dealt with utmost caution.

5. ✓ Sources of radiation
• Cosmic Radiation
• Terrestrial Radiation
• Internal Radiation
Natural
sources
• Nuclear Weapons
• Mining Of Radioactive Ore
• Medical Waste
• Nuclear Power Plants
• Industrial Radiography
Artificial
sources

6. Naturally Occurring Radiation & NORM

7. Man – Made Sources Of Radiation
• Medical waste: A no. of
radioactive isotopes are used in
medicine either for treatment or
diagnostics. These can be left to
decay over a short period after
which they are able to be disposed
off as normal waste.
• Mining of radioactive ore:
Mining these involves crushing &
processing of the radioactive ores
and this generates radioactive waste
which emits α-particles.

8. Types of radioactive pollution
This type of
condition exists in
uranium mines,
nuclear reactors &
laboratories where
the humans are
under continuous
exposure to
radioactive
contaminants.
Continuous
This type of
condition exists
during accidental
exposure to
radiations by virtue
of equipment
failure, radiation
leak, faulty
protective
equipment, etc.
Accidental
This condition
exists during
isolated
experiment or
test of nuclear
weapon /
substance.
Occasional

9. ✓ Toxicity & Effects
❖ The impact of radioactive pollution on human beings can vary from
mild to fatal; the magnitude of adverse effects largely depends on the
level & duration exposure to radioactivity.
❖ Low levels of localized exposure may only have a superficial effect and
cause mild skin irritation
❖ Long – term exposure or exposure to high amounts of radiation can
have far more serious health effects.
❖ Radioactive rays can cause irreparable damage to DNA molecules and
can lead to a life – threatening condition.

10. ✓Toxicity & Effects
• Radioactive substances are
among the most toxic
substances known.
• Marie Curie, The Nobel Laureate
for discovery of radioactivity in
1903, became the victim of
radioactive pollution & died of
leukemia.
• The effect of radioactive
pollution was noted in the
early 20th century (1909).
• The minor who were working
in uranium mines suffered
from skin burn & cancer.

11. Brief History:
✓Nuclear Energy
Initially, nuclear energy was hailed as a non –
polluting way for generating electricity. Later
on, it was realised that the use of nuclear energy
has two serious inherent problems:
I. Accidental leakage
II. Safe disposal of Radioactive wastes
▪ Nuclear energy was first
discovered by Enrico Fermi.
▪ The first nuclear bombs were built
in 1945 as a result of the infamous
“Manhattan Project”.
▪ The first plutonium bomb was
code – named Trinity, was
detonated on July 16, 1945 in New
Mexico.
▪ On August 6, 1945 ; The first
uranium bomb was detonated over
Hiroshima. Three days later, a
plutonium bomb was dropped over
Nagasaki.
▪ There were over 200,000 deaths
associated with these detonations.
▪ Electricity wasn’t produced with
nuclear energy until 1951.

12. ➢ Nuclear Power Plants
• A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which
the heat source is a nuclear reactor.
• As in a typical thermal power station, heat is used to
generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a
generator that produces electricity
• Nuclear power plants under current standards produce
“permissible” levels of radioactive pollution due to safety
precautions that must be adhered to.
• Accidents at these power plants can cause dangerously high
levels of radioactive pollution, such as in the case of
Chernobyl, Three – mile Island (U.S.) & recently in Fukushima
(Japan)

13. Some Accidental Cases
❑ Almost 99 such
nuclear accidents
have been reported
throughout
worldwide.
❑ 56 of them have
been only reported
in United States.
Chernobyl
Disaster

14. ✓ Nuclear Accidents
Chernobyl, Ukraine (former
Soviet Union) – April 26,
1986 {INES Level – 7}
Kyshtym, Russia (former Soviet
Union) – September 29, 1957
{INES Level – 6}
Fukushima, Japan – March 11,
2011 {INES Level – 7}
Three – Mile Island, United States –
March 28, 1979 {INES Level – 5}

15. Nuclear Hazards
Radioactive pollution that is spread through earth’s
atmosphere is called Fallout.
The best example of fallout is; Nuclear Bomb attacks on
Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 by U.S. during WW-II
Radioactive waste is usually the
product of a nuclear process
such as nuclear fission, which is
extensively used in nuclear
reactors, nuclear weapons &
other nuclear fuel – cycles.

17. Homeland Warfare

18. ✓ Prevention of Radioactive Pollution
Prevention
of leakage
of
radioactive
elements
from the
nuclear
reactors.
Waste
Disposal
must be
careful,
efficient &
effective.
Regular
monitoring &
quantitative
analysis
through
frequent
sampling in
the risk
prone areas.
Global
Understanding
about
nuclear
exposure.

19. In nuclear reactors,
closed cycle coolant
system with gaseous
coolants of very high
purity may be used to
prevent extraneous
activation products.
Fission
reactions
should be
minimised.
In nuclear mines,
wet drilling may
be employed
along with
underground
drainage.
Nuclear medicines &
Radiation therapy
should be applied
only when absolutely
necessary and earth
minimum doses.

20. o While nuclear power cannot substitute fossil fuel entirely
and become the sole sustainable energy resource, it can
play a significant role in decarbonizing the production of
electricity.
o Although we face significant challenges that are
constraining the prospects for further development,
nuclear power should be developed as a potential carbon
– free energy resource in order to eliminate future
problems of climate change & other environmental
concerns.

21. “There are sufficient resources to satisfy a man’s need, but not enough to satisfy everyone’s greed”.
~Mahatma Gandhi