Nuclear Plants and Their Impact on the Environment Essay

Nuclear Plants and Their Impact on the Environment - Essay ExampleAccidents from nuclear reactors in the late 1970s and early 1980s led to end to the initial rapid growth in nuclear power capacity. These comprised the 1979 Three Mile Island solidus (USA) and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster (Ukraine) (Cracolice & Peters, 1997). In 2011, a hard-hitting tsunami led the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant to leak, resulting in hydrogen gas explosions and partial meltdowns. In hostelry to caution the immediate populations from the adverse effects of the disasters, the Ukraine government enacted a 30 kilometers no-settlement policy around the Chernobyl power plant while the Japanese government implemented a 20 kilometers cautionary zone around the Fukushima I plant (Hoeve & Jacobson, 2012 Bennett, Bouville, Hall, Savkin & Storm, 2000).Radioactive DecayUsed up nuclear fuel from uranium-235 and plutonium-239 nuclear fission contains more than 100 carcinogenic radionuclide isotopes such as strontiu m-90, iodine-131 and caesium-137, and includes some of the most long-lived transuranic elements such as americium-241 and isotopes of plutonium. Disposal of these wastes in engineered facilities, or repositories, located deep underground in suitable geologic formations is currently the best disposal solution fronted (Cracolice & Peters, 1997).Nuclear Accidents and ConcernsDebate over the reliability, durability and quality maintenance of old nuclear installations has emerged following leakage of hot water in over twenty US nuclear power plants. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that emits a low-energy beta particle. It may be precede in water emanating from a nuclear plant (Casas et al, 2004 Cracolice & Peters, 1997). The main concern over tritium is the high possibility of its entry into drinking water, in addition to the sequent presence in crops that depend on tritium-contaminated waters. Uranium is mainly mined for use in nuclear power plants. The 1979 Church Rock uranium submarine spill in New Mexico led to the flow of over 1,000 tons.