Radioactivity: Chernobyl Disaster and Nuclear Power Essay

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Feoly San Juan – (10SC33-7) 16/11/12
Radioactivity report
What is Radioactive?
Emitting or relating to the emission of ionizing radiation or particles.

What went wrong at Chernobyl on 26 April 1986?
On the 26th of April 1986, at 1:23am, Alexander Akimov a nuclear plant operators was experiencing confusing reactor indicators, so as protocol he initiated an emergency shutdown of Unit 4 of the large electricity generating station. Unintentially causing the unit 4 reactor in the Chernobyl nucleaur power plant to explode, causing one of the worst known nuclear disasters recorded in history. Chernobyl is in Ukraine, located in Europe. The “Chernobyl disaster” resulted in exposure of both particulate and gaseous radioactive radioisotopes into the atmosphere of Chernobyl causing many negative affects immediately and long term to not only Chernobyl people, plants and animals but also to surrounding neighbouring countries.

List of the immediate effects on all living things (plants, animals & people)
Human beings
Because of the explosion many radioactive radioisotopes were released into the atmosphere. The workers involved in the recovery and cleanup after the disaster, called “liquidators”, between 300,000 people were involved in the cleanup of the 30km evacuation zone around the reactor. Many human beings were affected by the ARS (Acute Radiation Sickness). Within couple of weeks of the accident 28 people died as a result of this ARS. Then 19 later on died between the years but their deaths cannot necessarily be attributed to radiation exposure. In total 2763 people on-site and involved with the clean up of the Chernobyl blast was originally diagnosed ARS, but was later confirmed it was found in only 134 cases. Radiation occurs when unstable nuclei atoms decay and release particles. There are many different tyoes of radiation. When these particles touch various organic material such as tissue, damage may and probably will be done. Radiation can cause burns, cancers and DEATH.

On humans it affects our:- * Ofcourse our health * * Nausea * Vomiting * Headache * Some loss of white blood cells

People weren’t the only ones affected. Animals and plants were too,. Radiation can have devastating effects on living plants and animals. Radiation can damage living things at a cellular and genetic level. In some cases, damaged cells can repair themselves, but in other cases the damage is irreplaceable. One type of irreparable damage is genetic. Radiation can damage a cell’s DNA.
Plants
Radiation can cause severe cellular damage in seeds which sometimes prevent them from sprouting and germinating, this affecting the ability of plants to reproduce. In addition, radiation can cause genetic mutations in gowing plants which can affect their ability to survive.
Animals
Radiation can trigger genetic changes in the cells of animals which result in the celss growing out of control. These out of control cell cluster are canerous tumors. In addition, higher levels of radiation can cause damage to capillaties and small blood vessels, these higher levels can sometimes result in catastrophic heart failure or brain aneurysms. Because radiation is ften accompanied by intense heat, which is simply a different type of radiation is often accompanied by intense heat, which is simply a different type of radiation, exposure to intense radiation can often “cook” and animal. Some forms or radiation, such as microwave radiation will cause animal life to “cook” from the inside out.
Some countries, fish in deep freshwater lakes were banned for resale and landowners were advise not to consume certain species of fish because of certain reasons. After the Chernobyl blast, many trees, bushes and other types of plants withing 30km radius of the site had suffered reproductive tissues and we unable to grow for quite sometime.
Lists of the long term effects on all living things 2 ½ decades later
Plants and animals have
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