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Introduction to the

sciences: Phase 5 Individual


Project
Nuclear Power
By Tanika

Introduction
Renewable energy is energy which comes from resources that are
naturally replenished at the same rate they are consumed. This means
that they are sustainable for an indefinite period of time. The renewable
sources used most commonly are sunlight, wind, water, biomass and
geothermal heat. Generally, renewable energy is considered clean and
environmentally friendly. Non-renewable energy, on the other hand, is
energy which comes from scarce resources that cannot be replaced in our
lifetime or even many lifetimes and consequently these resources will
eventually be exhausted. This means that these resources are not
sustainable with current use. Most non-renewable energy sources are
fossil fuels coal, petroleum and natural gas. They are called fossil fuels
as they are formed from organic material such as decayed plants and
animals, which have been converted to crude oil, coal or natural gas by
exposure to heat and pressure in the earths crust, a process which can
take hundreds of millions of years. Fossil fuels contain carbon and when
they are burned, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which
is thought to contribute to global warming.
Science plays an important role in understanding how and if should
humans use non-renewable energy sources. To answer this question, we
must identify, measure and quantify the effects on the environment and
human health. There is consensus among environmental scientists that
non-renewable energy sources should be used judiciously, if at all, and
that renewable energy should be given precedence wherever possible.
There is debate about whether nuclear power is renewable or not. On the
one hand, uranium deposits are finite which means that they will
eventually run out. For example, uranium deposits are estimated to be
enough to supply nuclear energy for another 1000 years. However, some
researchers have argued otherwise. Cohen claims that with new
technologies, uranium can be extracted from sea water and river water
and breeder reactors could be used to increase the amount of energy

extracted from nuclear fission. Although nuclear power does not release
carbon into the atmosphere, it is not environmentally friendly like
renewable energy, as it generates toxic nuclear waste as a byproduct.

What type of fuel is extracted using the topic you selected? How
is this fuel extracted? Briefly describe the process.
Nuclear reactors use uranium to produce electricity through nuclear
fission. In fission, atoms are forced to break apart. Pellets of U-235, a rare
isotype of uranium, are used to produce a nuclear fission reaction. These
uranium atoms then release particles which cause other uranium atoms to
break apart, initiating a chain reaction. The energy released from this
reaction generates heat. The heat then warms the cooling agent in the
reactor, usually water, which produces steam. The steam then turns
turbines which drive generators to create electricity. Nuclear reactors
control nuclear fission using rods called nuclear poisons which absorb
fission products and slow the reaction down. This process generates
energy and radioactive waste as a byproduct.
What environmental risks does this process cause?
Some believe that nuclear energy is clean as it does not release carbon
dioxide or greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. As such, nuclear power
does not directly contribute to global warming. However, critics argue
that nuclear power is far from clean, as it generates radioactive waste as
a byproduct. Radioactive material is highly toxic to humans, plants and
wildlife, causing burns and increasing the risk for birth defects, cancer,
blood diseases and bone decay. Used fuel and rods are extremely
radioactive and must be stored in special containers. Also, workers tools
and clothes in contact with radioactive dust can stay radioactive for
thousands of years and must be stored and disposed of properly to avoid
contaminating anything else.

However, storage facilities can leak, crack or erode and radioactive


material could contaminate soil and groundwater. Nuclear reactors can
also be damaged by accidents or natural disasters which can have farreaching environmental effects. Examples include the Chernobyl disaster
in April 1986 in Ukraine caused by an accident and more recently, the
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March, 2011 caused by an
earthquake-triggered tsunami. These disasters affected not just the local
area, but the entire global ecosystem.
In the aftermath of the Chernoby disaster, 237 people suffered acute
radiation sickness and 31 died as a result. The radioactive particles
released into the atmosphere by Chernobyl spread over all of Europe and
radioactive rainfall occurred in certain regions. Lakes, rivers and aquatic
systems were contaminated the power plant was next to the Pripyat
river, which supplied drinking water to 2.5 million people. The radioactive
particles also entered the foodchain through radiated plants and soil. As a
result of inhalation and ingestion of radioactive material, mutations and
birth defects increased in humans and animals in Ukraine and surrounding
countries following the disaster. Thyroid cancer rates, especially in
children, increased dramatically. Estimates of cancer deaths caused by
the disaster range from 4000 to 200,000 but this is difficult to quantify.
The after-effects of the disaster are expected to be seen for at least
another 100 years.
The Fukushima Daiichi disaster released radioactive water into the sea
and these contaminated waters were transported far into the pacific
ocean. Fifteen days after the disaster, radioactive particles were
detectable all over the northern hemisphere and in one month, all over
the world. The radioactive material also entered Japans food supply. The
disaster cleanup is expected to take decades.
What role did science play in understanding how to extract this
fuel, and what risks does the process have?

Science played an indispensable role in the development of nuclear


power. Many scientists and engineers contributed to understanding of
nuclear fission including:

Ernest Rutherford proposed a model of the atom as a very small,


dense, positively charged nucleus of protons surrounding by small,

orbiting, negatively charged electrons.


Niels Bohr improved upon Rutherfords model.
Two-time Nobel prize winning Physicist and Chemist Marie Curie
along with husband Pierre Curie and colleague Henri Becquerel

discovered radioactive decay.


James Chadwick discovered the neutron
Albert Einstein proposed the mass-energy equivalence concept or

E=mc2
Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann demonstrated that Uranium decays

into barium
Leo Szilard suggested the possibility of creating a nuclear chain
reaction and filed a patent for a nuclear reactor

The first nuclear power plant built for civil purposes was the Obninsk
nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union which was launched in June
1954. A better understanding of the processes of fission, heat
generation, cooling, reactivity control and electrical power generation
has led to improvements in the safety and efficiency of power plants.
There are many reactor types and they can be classified based on type
of nuclear reaction, moderator material, coolant, generation, phase of
fuel and use. There are many advanced reactors being currently
developed for future use.
Have changes been made, based on scientific discovery, to
perform this process with less risk to people and the
environment? Describe these changes.
The discovery of the harmful effects of radioactivity has led to proper
protocols for extraction, transportation, storage, handling, and disposal of
nuclear waste. For example, protective clothing for workers and storage

of nuclear waste in specially designed containers. There have also been


limits set on radiation exposure based on evidence of negative health
effects and monitoring stations around the world measure radioactivity
levels on a daily basis. The safety and efficiency of reactors are being
continuously improved by engineers. Features such as emergency core
cooling systems, earthquake proof building material and double
containment have contributed to increased safety.
Conclusion
Nuclear energy is a non-renewable energy resource that is relatively
clean compared to other non-renewable energy sources such as fossil
fuels. It can generate a huge amount of electricity economically and
reliably for a large population. However, it is not completely
environmentally friendly like renewable energy resources. Nuclear
power plants produce toxic nuclear waste as a byproduct which must be
stored and disposed of properly. Although nuclear power only has minimal
routine risks, there are catastrophic risks in case of a nuclear meltdown or
accident. Science has played a vital role in the development and
improvement of nuclear reactors. The safety and efficiency of reactors
have dramatically improved in recent decades and newer reactors are
much safer than in the past. However, the risk of serious accidents can
never be completely eliminated. Several countries around the world have
either banned or are phasing out the use of nuclear power in favour of
renewable alternatives such as solar, wind and hydroelectric power.

References
Standford University, nuclear power,
http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph241/chowdhury2/
National Geographic, nuclear energy,
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/encyclopedia/nuclear-energy/?
ar_a=1
Union of concerned scientists, how nuclear power works,
http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_power/nuclear_power_technology/how-nuclear-powerworks.html#.VVCaAvmqqko

B.L. Cohen, "Breeder Reactors: A Renewable Energy Source," Am. J. Phys. 51, 75

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