A nuclear power plant generates electricity when the nuclei of radioactive atoms disintegrate and release energy into surrounding
water. This heated water is converted to steam which turns a turbine that generates electricity.
The steps in the uranium fuel cycle include uranium mining, milling to concentrate the ore, enrichment to increase the percent
of U-235, fabrication which converts it to powder, and use in the reactor. The spent fuel is either reprocessed or undergo waste storage.
A rem, or roentgen equivalent man, is a measure of the biological damage to tissue caused by certain amounts of radiation. The effects of large doses are easily seen and quantified, however, the effects of low doses are more difficult to quantify.
A nuclear chain reaction occurs when the neutrons released from a splitting nucleus strike the nuclei of other atoms causing those atoms to split. This results in more neutrons being released which causes other atoms to split; thus causing a chain reaction.
Each of these issues makes it increasingly difficult to justify new nuclear power plants. The cost of construction, decommissioning, and clean-up are greater than initially anticipated thereby making the cost of the electricity generation much greater. In addition, the health hazards of working with U-235, its transportation, and waste storage far outweigh any
benefit.
The accident at Chernobyl was the result of a nuclear reactor explosion and core meltdown that occurred
in association with a steam-measuring test and several safety violations and mistakes. The immediate consequences were 31 deaths, 500 persons hospitalized, and 116,000 people evacuated. Delayed effects include an increase in thyroid cancer in exposed children and fetuses.
A boiling-water reactor is a type of light-water reactor that produces steam to directly power the turbine and produce electricity. It uses the most common isotope of hydrogen and water is used as a moderator and as a reactor-core coolant.
Plutonium-239 is produced when a fast-moving neutron hits a nonradioactive uranium-238 nucleus and is absorbed. The result is a new substance, P-239.
Plutonium-239 is considered dangerous because it is extremely radioactive and hazardous to human health. Also, because it can be made into nuclear weapons, it must be transported, processed, and produced under very close security.
The energy released during the combination of two lightweight atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus is known as nuclear fusion. Fusion is currently not being used as a source of energy because several technical difficulties prevent its commercial use. The main technical problem is containment of the nuclei since their positive charges cause them to repel each other.
The major environmental problems associated with nuclear power is the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, exposure to radioactivity during mining, processing, and transportation, and the threat of accidents.
The construction and de-emphasis of nuclear weapons causes the contamination of production sites and the surrounding lands, the contamination of test sites, and the problem of storing both new material and waste.
