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8/6/2019 Reflective Essay 2. Evans
1/5
Nicole Klingler
EGEE 101H
Reflective Essay 2
14 April 2011
Society and the Nuclear Meltdown
Nuclear power currently provides approximately twenty percent of the United States
total electricity. This energy is produced without adding any carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere or contributing to the increase in the global temperature. In todays current
global warming crisis, one would expect society to be more enthusiastic about the prospective
opportunities to expand the use of nuclear energy throughout the world. However, many
people are skeptical and concerned about its widespread use. This apprehension may have
stemmed from the historical usage of nuclear power, which was first developed and applied
as an instrument of war during World War II through the development of the atomic bomb.
Shortly after World War II came to an end, the focus surrounding nuclear power turned to
operation as civilian power reactors. Then, in 1946 the Manhattan Project launched the first
atomic power program to develop an early commercial power reactor design, along with its
naval and air force military reactor projects (Duderstadt 46). In 1947, the Atomic Energy
Commission (AEC), which was created by the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, took over the
Manhattan Project and upon review halted its activity due to growing concerns over
achieving economically competitive nuclear power. In recent years, France has become one
of the leading producers of nuclear power to be utilized as a primary source of electrical
power. Many other countries, including the United States, Japan and Russia, have also had
success with producing electricity using nuclear. Even with these successes, accidents
involving defective safety measures in nuclear reactors, and concerns about the health risks of
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the resulting radioactive leakage may be responsible for societys hesitant attitude toward
using nuclear power as a prime energy source.
Nuclear reactors are built with many safety mechanisms and procedures in mind to
prevent nuclear meltdowns. These include backup generators, relief valves, evacuation plans,
and containment chambers with concrete walls several inches thick. The United States
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) also demands careful supervision of the nuclear
fission process, where certain uranium isotopes undergo the fission process in order to
produce large amounts of energy. Malfunctions in this process can cause the reactor to reach
extreme temperatures and produce an immense amount of energy. If not cooled regularly, the
core can overheat, causing instability and the reactors core to rupture. Because of this, a
coolant system (such as feedwater pumps) and a backup coolant system have also become
essential in reactor design. Typically, these safety measures are effective at preventing
disastrous meltdowns and states of emergency.
Therefore, many people assume that these safety features and protocols should quell
the publics anxiety about widespread utilization of nuclear power plants. However, as seen
in several accidents involving nuclear reactors, these safety systems do not always operate as
planned and the unthinkable can happen. The accident involving the Three Mile Island Unit,
a nuclear power plant near Middletown, PA, on March 28, 1979 was a humbling example of
the possible disasters resulting from mechanical failure. A mechanical or electrical failure
resulted in the main feedwater pumps shutting down, causing a chain of events that greatly
increased the severity of the initial mishap. The shutdown of the feedwater pump prevented
the steam generators from removing heat, causing the pressure in the primary system to
increase. A pilot-operated relief valve then opened to alleviate the built up pressure;
however, that same valve failed to close as it should have when the pressure in the primary
system decreased and the signals associated with that valve neglected to indicate that there
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was a problem. As a result, the coolant (water) poured out of the faulty valve, allowing the
reactors core to overheat (NRC, Three Mile Island). Luckily, in this incident, no one was
hurt or killed. Nevertheless, the incident terrified the public and fueled their skepticism of
nuclear power being the best solution to their energy needs. These sentiments were
heightened again seven years later a sudden surge of power, destroyed a nuclear reactor at
Chernobyl, Ukraine (formerly the USSR). The accident released massive amounts of
radioactive material into the environment (NCR, Chernobyl), creating the need for an
evacuation of all people in a thirty kilometer radius. Unlike the incident at Three Mile Island,
this meltdown claimed many lives and had everlasting effects. This event created a massive
amount of doubt among society about the pros of nuclear power outweighing the cons. This
doubt took many years to subside. With a large reprieve from major nuclear disasters, the
world seemed more eager to accept the notion of developing nuclear power into primary
source of electricity. However, in March of 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0
caused tsunamis to bombard Japan. These natural disasters caused multiple reactors of the
Fukushima Daiichi plant to meltdown. Shockingly, the tsunamis also knocked out the
reactors main supply of electrical power, and cooling the reactors became increasingly
difficult, allowing the radioactive contamination of the environment worsened (Shankland).
Thus, the threat of radioactive exposure rekindled the fear of the over usage of nuclear power
in Japan and many adjacent countries. In fact, radiation exposure, in most cases, appears to
be the main component of the publics fear of the expansion of nuclear power utilization.
Radioactivity is a result of spontaneous disintegration of nuclei that emits ionizing
radiation (commonly alpha, beta, and gamma particles). Ionizing radiation has the capability
to strip electrons from atoms. This often results in a charged ion or in the breaking of
chemical bonds, which can affect the human body in terrifying ways. For instance, exposure
to radioactivity can alter the normal functioning of a persons cells. It can cause abnormal
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patterns in cell repair and prevent apoptosis (programmed cell death). An extended period of
exposure can easily cause cancer as the cells do not know when to stop repairing or when
to die, which quickly produces a mass of overgrown cells. Other symptoms of exposure to
radiation include: radiation sickness, hair loss, premature aging, nausea, weakness, skin
burns, diminished organ functions, and death. One of the major fears that is that children are
more sensitive to the effects of radiation than adults. Children undergo bodily growth at a
more rapid rate than adults. Therefore, a significantly higher percentage of their cells are
dividing at the time of exposure, and there is a greater opportunity for radiation to interfere
with the process of normal bodily growth. Similarly, fetuses are also highly sensitive to
radiation. However, the exact effects that result from the exposure of radiation during fetal
development largely depends on which body systems are developing at the time of exposure.
Radiation exposure can destroy an entire region in some cases, making the area too
perilous for human inhabitance and can often be life threatening when exposed to a high
enough dosage. The most common source of high levels of radiation is meltdowns of nuclear
reactors. This threat to humanitys well-being appears to be the greatest factor in societys
hesitation to wholeheartedly embrace the development of nuclear power as a major source of
electricity. Many would argue that this apprehension is entirely justifiable and agree that
while nuclear energy may not be a source of carbon dioxide, it has the potential to be even
more harmful to the environment than other energy sources that do produce the gas. It seems
largely because of the adverse health effects that can potentially stem from nuclear power that
societys preference to develop natural, renewable resources as sources of electrical power
before the development of nuclear power be further implemented.
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Work Cited
Duderstadt, James J., and Chihiro Kikuchi.Nuclear Power: Technology on Trial. Ann Arbor:
University of Michigan, 1979. Print.
"NRC: Backgrounder on the Three Mile Island Accident."NRC: Home Page. 11 Aug. 2009.
Web. 11 Apr. 2011. .
"NRC: Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident."NRC: Home Page. 30
April 2009. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. .
Shankland, Stephan. "Overheating, Radiation Troubles Mount at Japan Reactors | Deep Tech
- CNET News." Technology News - CNET News. 16 Mar. 2011. Web. 11 Apr. 2011.
.
Works Consulted
Eiser, J. Richard, Joop Van Der Pligt, and Russell Spears.Nuclear Neighbourhoods:
Community Responses to Reactor Siting. Devon: University of Exeter, 1995. Print.
Evans, Robert L.Fueling Our Future: an Introduction to Sustainable Energy. Cambridge
[u.a.: Cambridge Univ., 2007. Print.
Foreman, Harry, ed.Nuclear Power and the Public. Minneapolis: Univ. of Minnesota, 1971.
Print.
"Health Effects | Radiation Protection | US EPA." US Environmental Protection Agency.
Web. 29 Mar. 2011. .