89d 997 1e6 65e ff0 003 9eb df0 988 48c aff 830 59e 936 7f0 e8c 6ef 29b 810 1f9 83e 83b c94 796 869 b44 b3e c08 43a 42b 20c a79 242 f23 d50 b01 10b 854 e0d e50 466 115 4e3 0ce f56 9b3 cf9 5d4 783 6b9 cb7 6d2 bbe 8fb dd8 746 d4e d9d 1d8 be2 052 5f2 8d3 7c0 124 3aa e50 795 19a 1b5 acb bfe 8a7 b19 a17 960 d58 349 c2b a3d eca f7d 2c1 3ba f65 3e5 18b 7a1 9a5 9e3 e15 9a3 695 d9c 7db c36 67a c55 ead bed

No immediate health effects would be expected in the general public from a nuclear power plant accident. That is because the amount of radiation present would be too small to cause immediate injury or illness. However, there is a risk of long-term health effects. Cancer may develop many years after the exposure.

What happens when radiation leaks?

Radioactive contamination occurs when radioactive material is deposited on or in an object or a person. Radioactive materials released into the environment can cause air, water, surfaces, soil, plants, buildings, people, or animals to become contaminated.

What Can radiation from a nuclear plant cause?

At high doses, ionizing radiation can cause immediate damage to a person's body, including radiation sickness and death. Ionizing radiation is also a carcinogen, even at low doses; it causes cancer primarily because it damages DNA. However, the lower the dose of ionizing radiation, the lower the chances of harm.

What can go wrong with a nuclear reactor?

A major environmental concern related to nuclear power is the creation of radioactive wastes such as uranium mill tailings, spent (used) reactor fuel, and other radioactive wastes. These materials can remain radioactive and dangerous to human health for thousands of years.

Do nuclear power plants leak radiation?

An operating nuclear power plant produces very small amounts of radioactive gases and liquids, as well as small amounts of direct radiation. If you lived within 50 miles of a nuclear power plant, you would receive an average radiation dose of about 0.01 millirem per year.

What does radiation feel like?

Early and late effects of radiation therapy The most common early side effects are fatigue (feeling tired) and skin changes. Other early side effects usually are related to the area being treated, such as hair loss and mouth problems when radiation treatment is given to this area.

Why did Chernobyl explode?

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 was the result of a flawed reactor design that was operated with inadequately trained personnel. The resulting steam explosion and fires released at least 5% of the radioactive reactor core into the environment, with the deposition of radioactive materials in many parts of Europe.

Can a nuclear reactor explode like a bomb?

While a nuclear reactor can never explode like an atomic bomb, an explosion can still occur. All power plants are a potential site for an explosion, because the fuel used, whether it is coal, uranium, or natural gas, needs to be energy dense.

What kind of radiation does a nuclear reactor emit?

Radiation particularly associated with nuclear medicine and the use of nuclear energy, along with X-rays, is 'ionizing' radiation, which means that the radiation has sufficient energy to interact with matter, especially the human body, and produce ions, i.e. it can eject an electron from an atom.

Can a nuclear reactor explode?

Fortunately, the reactor cannot explode. A nuclear explosion cannot occur because the fuel is not compact enough to allow an uncontrolled chain reaction. The MIT reactor has a lot of water and core structural materials that slow the neutrons down before they reach other fissile atoms.