Nuclear accident discussion

The analysis of the consequences of nuclear accidents began with physical concepts of core melt, discussed the mathematical and code models of radionuclide release and transport within the plant to its release into the environment, models for atmospheric transport and the calculation of health effects in humans. After the probabilities and consequences of the accidents have been determined, they must be assembled and the results studied and presented to convey the meanings. 

As discussed earlier, nuclear accidents liave not been die only accidents to occur in recent times. Other disasters at chemical plants have been responsible for a much greater loss of life. Tlie worst disaster in the recent history of the chemical industry occurred in Bhopal, in central India, on December 3, 1984. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) from a chemical pkint, where it was used as an intermediate in the manufacture of a pesticide, spread into tlie adjacent city and caused the poisoning dcatli of more tlian 2500 people apja-oximately 20,000 others were injured. 

TC 3-15. Nuclear Accident and Incident Response and Assistance (NAIRA). This training circular (TC) provides techniques, procedures, and guidance for nuclear accident and incident response and assistance during peacetime. It also provides technical guidance which can be used during both peacetime and wartime. TC 3-15 is intended for use by commanders both in and outside the continental United States (CONUS and OCONUS), by staff and soldiers whose units have custody of nuclear weapons and by US Army Depot personnel who respond to a nuclear accident or incident. Wartime NAIRA doctrine and procedures are fully discussed in FM 100-50. 27 December 1988. 

Radioiodine plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of various thyroid disorders. Production methods for various iodine isotopes, namely, and are briefly described in this paper. The chemistry of iodine and radiation effects in aqueous solutions and isotopic exchange reactions are also reviewed. An understanding of the chemistry of iodine is essential in isotope production, and for developing the procedure to prepare the radioactive iodine labeled pharmaceuticals. In radiochemical analysis of iodine, most environmental and biological samples can be accurately analyzed by neutron activation at trace levels. The use of potassium iodide (KI) has become an important remedy to prevent the harmful effects of radioiodine exposure under nuclear accident conditions. The inhibitory effect of KI administration on thyroid radioactive iodine uptake is discussed. 

Exposure to radioiodine under nuclear accident conditions has been of concern to the general population residing near nuclear power plants. Protection from exposure by KI administration is suggested, and the inhibitory effect of KI on thyroid RAIU is discussed. 

Thirty four isotopes of iodine have been found and produced, but only one, is stable. is a long-lived radioisotope of iodine occurring in the nature, but is mainly produced and released by human nuclear activity. The most frequently used radioiodines in biomedicine are and the application of and in biomedicine has increased in recent years. The sources of and the production methods for radioisotopes of iodine, and biomedical application of radioiodine are presented. Concentrations of iodine isotopes, especially in the thyroid and urine are discussed. Analytical methods for the determination of iodine isotope, especially and are reviewed. Finally, the radiation risk of radioiodine to the thyroid, especially the radioisotopes released from nuclear accidents, and 1351, are discussed. 

In general, sampling techniques for the monitoring of radionuclides in the event of a nuclear accident are based on standard procedures and are similar to those already discussed. It must be remembered that the sampling program is at least as important as the measurements made on the samples, and this is especially true for nuclear accidents. 

Although relevant exercises have been conducted, and Cold War nuclear weapons programs provide validated analytic platforms, there have been no actual post-det terrorist incidents involving an IND or RDD to date. Consequently, no technical investigations in the contemporary embodiment of nuclear forensic analysis exist for an actual post-det situation, and all discussed case studies necessarily focus on interdicted, pre-det materials. (However, a nuclear accident that is perhaps exemplary of maximum-credible consequences of successful terrorist activities was the uncontrolled criticality and resultant explosion of the Soviet RBMK power reactor at Chernobyl in 1986.)... 

Mr. Kazakov discussed problems associated with contamination from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. The first problem is in characterising what portion of the contaminated material in the exclusion zone should be considered radioactive waste and how to deal with it remove it or possibly use materials for construction. Consideration of the extent to which contaminated materials should be removed, as radioactive waste, presents a problem as well. This is related to the second problem in properly characterising the total inventory of the radioactive waste. The waste is characterised at temporary locations of radioactive waste (TLPRW) and radioactive waste burial sites (RWBS). Although there is a great deal of documented information on the locations, volumes and activities, it is unclear whether to categorise the radioactive waste by specific activity, volume or presence of transuranic and fissionable elements in the radioactive waste. 

Based on a recommendation from the National Commission report on the Deepwater Horizon accident (discussed in the next chapter) BSEE prepared their White Paper based on the safety culture policy developed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. BSEE defines the word culture as ... 

The Institute of Nuclear Power Operations wrote an interesting addendum to their INPO 11-005, Special Report on the Nuclear Accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. They go on to discuss some of the lessons learned from the black swan event. Many of the lessons learned are heavily related to nuclear-specific design and operational issues however, here are some that have more universal application and again are themes that we shall see throughout this book (INPO, 2012) ... 

A further aspect to be considered is the interaction of endogenous metals and metalloenzymes with both radiolysis products and extraneous chemicals which may result in radioprotection. Indeed, in any class of compounds there is a reciprocal nature of sensitization and protection that demands that examples exist illustrating both effects. The need for good radioprotectors today, of course, is something which transcends the uses discussed here, given the ever-present threat of radiation damage from nuclear accidents. 

The problem has been discussed during a workshop organized by WHO and CEC, whose proceedings are available (Iodine prophylaxis following nuclear accidents, E. Rubery and E. Smales Editors, Pergamon Press publisher. New York 1990). The conclusions regarding neonates were that they are particularly sensitive to the antithyroid effects of... 

The disaster changed the national debate over energy policy almost overnight. Japan, a country heavily reliant on nuclear power, due to its own shortage of fossil fuels had by June 2012 shut down all but two of the country s 54 nuclear reactors. This discussion continues and it remains to be seen what the true long-term policies and health effects are from the nuclear accident. 

In the WASH-1400 analyses of nuclear power accidents, it was calculated that it is possible to overpressure and rupture the containment. Discuss whether this is better or worse than a pressure relief that releases radioactivity but prevents the pressure from exceeding the rupture... 

Many nuclear plants are connected to rivers such as Indian Point. Discuss accident sequences that could result in a PWR releasing significant radioactivity into a river. 

In some organizations, designated individuals have specific responsibility for eliciting detailed information from operational staff on the immediate and underlying causes of incidents. An example is the Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES) developed for the nuclear industry, which is described in Bishop and Larhette (1988). These coordinators provide a certain level of guaranteed irrununity from sanctions which allows individuals to be frank about the contributory causes that they may not be willing to discuss in an open forum. As discussed earlier, the need for this approach is a consequence of the fact that in many organizations a blame culture exists which is likely to inhibit a free flow of information about the causes of accidents. 

In April 1982, a data workshop was held to evaluate, discuss, and critique data in order to establish a consensus generic data set for the USNRC-RES National Reliability Evaluation Program (NREP). The data set contains component failure rates and probability estimates for loss of coolant accidents, transients, loss of offsite power events, and human errors that could be applied consistently across the nuclear power industry as screening values for initial identification of dominant accident sequences in PRAs. This data set was used in the development of guidance documents for the performance of PRAs. 

Learning the chemistry that enables a person to understand reports of and discussions about chemistry appearing in the media for example, being able to understand why accidents in nuclear plants have high risks ... 

These topics are the subject of DOE Standard DOE-STD-1027-92, "Hazard Categorization and Accident Analysis Techniques for Compliance with DOE Order 5480.23 Nuclear Safety Analysis Reports," which provides guidance for facility managers and Cognizant Secretarial Offices (CSOs). They are also discussed in the DOE Standard DOE-STD-3009-94,... 

The third principal component of environmental radioactivity is that due to the activities of humans, the anthropogenic radionuclides. This group of nuclides includes the previously discussed cases of 3H and 14C along with the fission products and the transuranium elements. The primary sources of these nuclides are nuclear weapons tests and nuclear power plant accidents. These events and the gross nuclide releases associated with them are shown in Table 3.1. Except for 14C and... 

Safety has always been discussed in various fields. The opposite of safety is danger. In general, the security for an industrial equipment/process/plant, even in the case of those rated as perfectly safe, is rarely felt to be perfect by the common man. A good example of such a situation is nuclear power stations. Although nuclear power stations are considered to be technologically perfect in almost all aspects, the installation of a new plant is not easily accepted by the residents in and around the site. This is because the residents do not feel perfectly secure instead, they are anxious about the occurrence of a serious accident, even though the chances of such an occurrence are rather small. 

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