ENVS 1126 Lecture Notes - Lecture 19: Three Mile Island Accident, Nuclear Meltdown, Ionizing Radiation
23 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Coal vs. nuclear power: fuel: a 1,000 mw coal-fired plant. Strip mining damages the environment, acid leaching. Deep mining causes deaths and harm to health: a 1,000 mw nuclear plant. Uses 30 tons of uranium from 75,000 tons of ore. Energy from fission of 1 pound of uranium equals 50 tons of coal. Coal vs. nuclear power: pollution: a 1,000 mw coal-fired plant. Emits 300,000 tons so2, particulates, other pollution. 100 times more radioactivity released than a nuclear plant. Accidents could kill people or lead to fires: a 1,000 mw nuclear plant. 250 tons of radioactive wastes require storage and disposal. Accidents can range from minor to catastrophic. Hazards and costs of nuclear power: radioactive emissions: fission of uranium or any other material creates new, lighter atoms. Radioisotopes: unstable direct products of fission: radioactive wastes: Indirect products of fission: materials in the reactor can become radioactive by absorbing neutrons. Radioactive wastes: direct + indirect products of fission.
