Nuclear Radiation
Viktor Chernobay
Biology 115
Nuclear energy was discovered in the
process of creating the atomic bomb.
After scientists conducted more experiments, they found that nuclear
power was a clean and efficient way to produce energy. "The first nuclear reactor was created on
December 2, 1942, at the University of Chicago by Enrico Fermi.” (Editors of
Scientific America, 1995). The discovery
of nuclear energy provided a new source of energy and an alternative to the use
of natural resources: such as coal, oil, water, and wood. At the same time, nuclear energy could be
used in a destructive way, such as the
atomic bomb.
At
that time, the discovery of a new source of energy was a very significant
event. By using a small amount of plutonium and uranium, two radioactive
elements, an enormous amount of energy could be obtained. Nuclear energy can be produced in two
different ways, by the fission or fusion process. Fission involves the breaking up of heavier
atoms into lighter atoms. In a nuclear
fission reaction, two smaller nuclei of approximately equal mass are formed from the splitting of a
large nucleus. This splitting of an atom
produces a large amount of energy. This
process is the most common form of nuclear power. Fusion is a method that combines lighter
atoms into heavier atoms. In a nuclear
fusion reaction, a large nucleus is formed from two small nuclei joined
together. Fusion reactions are difficult
to produce because of the repulsion of the atom’s negatively charged electron
clouds and the positively charged nucleus. (LeMay, Beall, Robblee, Brower,
1996). Fusion is mostly used to create
the hydrogen bomb. (The World Book Encyclopedia, 1990). The byproduct of nuclear energy is
radiation. Radiation is created from the
particles (strontium-90, cesium-137, radon-222, krypton-85, and nitrogen-16)
that are given off as a result of the splitting of atoms. (Gale Encyclopedia of Science, 1996)
(Demmin, 1994).
As time went on, the attitudes of people
towards nuclear energy changed. There
were many positive and negative aspects for the use of nuclear power. Recently, people worldwide have started
questioning the continued use of nuclear power. Due to the deaths resulting
from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, as well as the adverse effect
the aftermath of the accident had on the environment, there has been a public
outcry concerning the safety of society. As with many controversial issues,
this topic has been widely debated, but a solution has not been determined.
The positive aspects of the use of nuclear
energy are that the supply of natural resources does not have to be depleted,
and also it is clean. It takes a great
amount of natural resources to create a small amount of energy. On the other hand, a very small amount of
plutonium and uranium is necessary for the creation of a large amount of
nuclear energy. This is important since
there are relatively small amounts of plutonium and uranium in the earth’s
crust. Compared to the production of
power using coal, the creation of power generated by nuclear energy does not
pollute the air. As coal burns, there
are poisonous fumes that could cause sickness, if the area is not properly
ventilated. As the cost of electricity
rose, the government was forced to look for an alternative source of energy,
which they discovered in nuclear reactors.
One of the major disadvantages of a
reactor is the disposal of the nuclear waste which harms the environment. "There are 434 nuclear reactors in the world
and 110 of them are in the United States.”
(Wasserman, 1996) Not a single
one is functioning without polluting the environment. Attempts to store nuclear wastes have not
been very successful. One such attempt
is to bury the nuclear waste underground, but the leakage of nuclear waste has
poisoned the groundwater. Another
attempt is to put the nuclear waste into deep ocean water. Later, this was rejected by the public and
also, in violation of an international treaty because of the possibility of
harming the ocean. Another problem to
the environment is the leakage of radioactive waste from space. This problem is not pollution to the earth’s environment,
but pollution of space. There is no way
to dispose of the nuclear waste in space.
The most significant drawback on this
controversial issue is the threat of a disaster. The two most serious situations were the
accident at Chernobyl and the explosion of the hydrogen bomb on Hiroshima. The
first time that people discovered the dangers of nuclear power was when the
atomic bomb was dropped, August 6, 1945, on Hiroshima. The effects of the bomb was that it destroyed
4.7 square miles of the city.
Approximately 70,000 people were killed and about another 70,0000 people
were injured. Many people died later as
a result of nuclear radiation and radiation sickness. (The World Book
Encyclopedia, 1990). The most serious
nuclear disaster was the Chernobyl
accident that occurred April 26, 1986 in the Soviet Union. (Medvedev,
pp.83-89.). An accurate number of deaths
as a result of this accident is very hard to determine due to the secrecy of
the U.S.S.R. surrounding this accident. (Marples, 1996). A study done by a team of scientists from
both the United States and Japan has shown that there has not been any evidence
found of genetic mutation, which are changes in heredity, in the children of
the survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima. (Science News, 1996).
Following the Chernobyl accident, Soviet
scientists suggest that there is evidence that radiation has exhibited genetic
mutation in the parents who were exposed to radiation. According to them, the mutation was found in
sperm and egg cells, which contain the genetic building blocks of future
generations. The child’s DNA is a combination from both parents’ genetic
makeup. When there is any sequence that
the child has, but that sequence was not found in either parent, then this is
called germline mutation. Ten years
after the accident that occurred at Chernobyl, evidence of mutation, in the
exposed areas of the country, indicates that
radiation changed genetic makeup and that this has passed onto future
generations. (Science News, 1996). Also,
there has been an explosive increase in childhood thyroid cancer in Belarus,
Ukraine and the Russian Federation since 1986.
This cancer is present in brothers and sisters of the same family, which
indicates that the cancer is a result of the accident at Chernobyl. (Balter,
1995).
Whether the atom is used for peace or for
war, man must contend with the hazards of nuclear radiation. This radiation may cause burns, diseases, and
death. It may harm future generations by
causing mutations.
In peacetime, the escape of radioactive
particles from nuclear plants is the main radiation hazard. More nuclear power plants will be built
if a significant amount of the world’s
power is to come from uranium. As a result of these plants, huge amounts of
radioactive material will be produced.
The power plants must take necessary precautions to insure the
communities are safe from the radiation that may escape.
In wartime, the most serious danger from
radiation is near or below the place where the atomic bomb has exploded. If people are not killed by the bomb, then
they have to deal with the radioactive fallout.
Even at a distance from the blast, the injury can be serious.
The use of radiation has many positive
attributes, but at the same time, the significance of the drawbacks are
overwhelming. No government nor
scientist can guarantee the safety of nuclear plants. Without this guarantee, there is an immediate
concern for the welfare of the world. I
believe countries around the world should begin a gradual process of shutting
down nuclear plants and begin making a much greater effort to develop
widespread use of other sources of energy, such as wind and solar power.
In the last decade, public concern for the
use of nuclear energy has increased dramatically. Few can debate that nuclear energy is clean,
and can be produced without using hardly any natural resources. Likewise, few can debate that radiation is
harmful to the environment, unsafe, and a great danger for all living
things. Scientists and mankind have to
weigh the positive as well as the negative aspects of nuclear radiation, and
then decide what source of energy the future holds that will benefit not only
all living things, but also the environment.
REFERENCES
Balter,
Michael. ( 1995). "Chernobyl’s Thyroid Cancer Toll.” Science. vol. 270, no. 5243, pp. 1758-1759.
Demmin,
Peter E. (1994). Reviewing Chemistry. Amsco
School Publications, Inc. New York. P. 85.
LeMay,
Eugene H. Jr., Beall, Herbert, Robblee, Karen M., and Brower, Douglas C.
(1996). Chemistry Connections to Our Changing
World. Prentice Hall. New Jersey. Pp. 792-798.
Marples,
David R. (1996). "The Decade of Despair.” The
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientist. vol.52, no.3, pp.22-31.
Medvedev,
Grigori. (1991). The Truth About Chernobyl.
Basic Books. A Division of Harper Collins Publishers. pp. 83-89.
Science News.
(1996). "Radiation Damages Chernobyl Children.” editors of Science News. vol. 149, no. 17, p. 260.
Scientific
American. (1995). "Disposing of Nuclear
Waste.” Editors of Scientific American.
p. 177.
The Gale
Encyclopedia of Science. (1996).
Bridget Travers, editor. New York. vol. 5, pp. 3008-3009.
The World Book
Encyclopedia. (1990). Field Enterprises
Educational Corporation. Chicago. vol. 9 p. 230. and vol. 1 p. 832.
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