Chapter 20 Assessment of radiation pollution from nuclear power plants

Nuclear power plants split uranium atoms in a process called fission. In a nuclear power plant, heat is generated to produce steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity. Nuclear energy has been proposed in response to the need for a clean energy source compared to CO2 production plants. However, nuclear energy is not necessarily a source of clean energy as nuclear power plants release small amounts of greenhouse emissions in activities related to building and running the plant. Moreover, even if all safety measures are followed, there is no guarantee that an accident will not occur in a nuclear power plant. In the case of an accident involving a nuclear power plant, the environment and the people around it may be exposed to high levels of radiation. Another important environmental problem related to nuclear energy is the generation of radioactive waste that can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years. There are also several issues with burying the radioactive waste. Here, we describe different types of radioactive waste pollution from nuclear power plants, their environmental effects, nuclear regulations, and nuclear power plant incidents. Moreover, two case studies on nuclear power plant accidents and their consequences are discussed

The risks of exposure to internal emitters

The risks to health from internally deposited radionuclides have received considerable attention in recent years. There are significant issues concerned with exposure to internal emitters beyond those associated with the risks posed by external sources of penetrating ionizing radiations, and these issues lead to additional uncertainty in risk estimates pertaining to internal emitters. There is, however, no firm evidence that the risks from internally deposited radioactive material have been seriously underestimated by scientific review groups, but the uncertainties associated with the risks of exposure to internal emitters need to be taken into account in radiological protection