Hobbies And Interests
Radioactive Waste
Nuclear plants create two major forms of waste, high level waste and low level waste. High level waste results from the reprocessing of nuclear fuel. (See Reference 1) Reprocessing is trying to make use of nuclear fuel after it has been spent. Every year, nuclear plants produce approximately 20 to 30 tons of high level waste. Low level waste includes waste that has been exposed to radioactive areas. (See Reference 2) Examples of low-level waste include lab coats worn near radioactive material, animal carcasses found in radioactive infected areas and hand tools exposed to radiation -- these are usually found in nuclear plants. The Uranium Institute says high levels of solid waste release toxic pollutants and greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. (See Reference 6) The gases are released while they are in the power plant's pipes.
Effluent Water
One of the most direct impacts of nuclear plants on the environment is the use of effluent water. Nuclear plants use sewage water in their cooling towers in order to cool the nuclear reactor. The plants extract contaminants from the sewage water and the remaining water is called effluent water. (See Reference 3) Rather than maintaining effluent water, many nuclear plants discharge it into a nearby body of water, such as a river or lake. Effluent water's effects on the environment include killing marine wildlife and polluting local drinking water. 'Effluents' also refer to effluent emissions, such as carbon dioxide radioactive isotopes. These gases are a source air pollution in the atmosphere, which harm the environment.
Nuclear Accidents
A nuclear accident is an event that severely impacts a nuclear facility and the environment surrounding it. Consequences of nuclear accidents include high amounts of radioactivity, which leave entire environments uninhabitable, and the fatalities of human and wildlife species. One kind of major nuclear accident is a critical accident - when nuclear chain reactions occur in enriched plutonium. Another nuclear accident, decay heat, is the emission of radiation and heat that comes from decaying radioactive waste. (See Reference 4) Historic examples of major nuclear accidents include the U.S.S.R.'s Chernobyl plant and the nuclear plant at Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant in Pennsylvania. Other types of accidents occur during transportation, when radioactive material spills while it is being transported, and lost source, or when radioactive material is misplaced. The possible release of noxious gases from lost or spilled radioactive material could result in damaging habitats for wildlife species and water sources for humans. (see Reference 6)