2. CAUSES, EFFECT & MANAGEMENT OF
SOIL NUCLEAR HAZARDS & INDUSTRIAL
WASTES
PRESENTATION ON
3. OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION
Nuclear Hazard : An Introduction !
Radioactivity(fission & fusion)
Types of radioactive wastes
Sources of Radiation
Industrial wastes
Effect of nuclear hazard on soil health & fertility
Management/control of nuclear hazard
Nuclear hazards : Global Scenario
India perspective
What we have to do in case of nuclear accidents
5. Nuclear Hazards :An
Introduction
Nuclear hazard is reality of our life.
The nuclear accident at the Chernobyl reactor in 1986
shocked the world. More than 100,000 people in
Belarus, Ukraine and Russia were evacuated from the
contaminated area, about 5 million have been exposed.
In France, Germany, Poland and other European
countries radiation protection measures have been
implemented.
Fukushima nuclear accident 2011 proved, that to each
nuclear reactor attributed nuclear hazard.
The public perception of Chernobyl and Fukushima
nuclear accidents clear demonstrated tremendous
inefficient informing of people on radiation hazards
corresponded to radionuclide's releases.
7. Radioactivity(fission & fusion)
The spontaneous emission of particles and rays by an
unstable nucleus is called Radioactivity and such substances
are called Radioactive Substances e.g. Radium, Uranium,
Thorium.
Radioactive pollution can be defined as the release of
radioactive substances or high-energy particles into the air
water, or earth as a result of human activity, either by accident
or by design.
Nuclear fusion and nuclear fission are different types of
reactions that release energy due to the presence of high-
powered atomic bonds between particles found within a
nucleus. In fission, an atom is split into two or more smaller,
lighter atoms. Fusion, in contrast, occurs when two or more
8. Nuclear fusion
Fusion of deuterium with tritium creating helium-4,
freeing a neutron, and releasing 17.59 Me of
9. Nuclear fission
The absorption of a neutron by 238U induces oscillations
in the nucleus that deform it until it splits into fragments
the way a drop of liquid might break into smaller droplets
11. Types of radioactive wastes
(a) Low level waste: generally generated from
hospitals and industry e.g. Paper, rag ,cloths etc.
containing small amount of short lived radioactivity.
(b) Intermediate level Waste : contains higher
amounts of radioactivity and some requires
shielding. It comprises resins, chemical sludge's
and contaminated materials from reactor
decommissioning . Generally short lived waste
(mainly from reactors) while long lived waste (from
fuel reprocessing).
(c) Transuranic Waste : Arises from weapons
production, and consists small amounts of
radioactive elements ,mostly plutonium. These
elements have an atomic number greater than
uranium thus transuranic (beyond uranium
).Because of the long half-lives of these
12. Cond.
(d) High level Waste :Arises from the use of
uranium fuel in a nuclear reactor and nuclear
weapons processing. It contains the fission
products and transuranic elements generated in
the reactor core. It is highly radioactive and hot.
It can be considered the "ash" from "burning"
uranium. HLW accounts for over 95% of the
total radioactivity produced in the process of
nuclear electricity generation.
16. Industrial wastes
~Industries need a wide
variety of raw materials and
chemicals which are later
discharged as effluents.
~Acids, alkalis, toxic metals,
pesticides and other
poisonous substances such
as cyanide, dyes, oils,
detergents, resins, rubbers
are a few to mention.
~ Heated effluents that impart
thermal loading on receiving
waters and effluents
containing radio active
materials are also of prime
concern.
Fig : Fertilizer industry in USA
17. 1. The excess content of sodium (60%) and boron (2
mg/l) are deleterious to crops.
2. The high sodium alkalinity combined with salinity
impairs the growth of plants.
3. Texture of the soil is affected by sodium and
penetration of roots is prevented.
4. Soil permeability is also affected by sodium and
ultimately the soil will lose its productivity.
5. Suspended and colloidal impurities clog the pores
and form a mat on the surface of soil preventing the
passage of air, water etc.
Effect on soil
18. Effect of nuclear hazard on soil health &
fertility
Radioactive pollution that is spread through the earth's
atmosphere is termed fallout . Such pollution was most
common in the two decades following World War II.
Three types of fallout result from nuclear detonations :
(a.) local
(b.) tropospheric
(c.) stratospheric
• Local fallout is quite intense but short-lived.
• Tropospheric fallout is deposited at a later time and
covers a larger area, depending on meteorological
conditions.
• Stratospheric fallout, which release extremely fine
particles into the upper atmosphere, may continue for
years after an explosion and attain a worldwide
distribution.
19. Effect of nuclear hazard on soil health &
fertility
The effect of radioactive pollution depends on
~ Half –life of radioactive elements
~ Energy releasing capacity
~Rate of diffusion
~Rate of deposition of the contaminant.
~ Various atmospheric and climatic conditions such as
wind, temperature, rainfall also determine their effects.
The possible general effects of radioactive wastes are
categorised into
1) Somatic Effect
2) Genetic Effect
3) Biomagnifications
20. Cond.
(1) Somatic effect: Affects somatic cells. It appears within
individual and disappears with the death of the
individual.
~ Immediate effects : Anaemia, Reduced immune
response, Haemorrhage , skin burn, mouth ulcers ,
CNS Damage
~ Delayed effects : Eye cataract, Leukaemia,
Cardiovascular disease, premature ageing ,Reduced life
span & fertility.
(2) Genetic Effects: The radiation affects the genes of the
gamete cells. The changes are not apparent in the
individual. The effects are exhibited by offspring and in
the subsequent gen.
DNA, RNA replication and chromosome. It causes
• Mutation
• Chromosomal aberration
21. Cond.
Nuclear wastes causes soil, water, & air pollutions.
In these pollutions, pollution hazards finally enter into
the food chain of the living beings who is the final
victim of radioactive pollution as he is at the end of all
reactions and interactions.
Radioactive elements when discharged through
sewage system poison the biological purification
mechanism of sewage treatment causing several soil
and water borne diseases.
Solid wastes cause offensive odour and clogging of
ground water filters. Suspended matter in sewage can
blanket the soil, thereby interfering with the soil
moisture.
22. Cond.
The problem of radioactive wastes dumped into the soil is
more complicated. This is so because every radioactive
element like radium, uranium, thorium and plutonium etc.
can remain active in soil for thousands of years. Since the
radioactive wastes are produced in tremendous quantities
and have a high activation energy, they create an
extremely difficult public health problem.
Radioactive pollutants can produce great human misery.
When food containing radionuclide's is taken by man,
some of them concentrate in specific body organs where
they cause a number of undesirable diseases of digestive
tract. Even the thyroid gland is damaged due to
accumulation of iodine. Cs-137 is taken by body in place of
potassium.
Excessive radioactivity also resulted in defoliation of
23. Management/control of nuclear
hazard
*The objective in managing and disposing of radioactive
waste is to protect people and the environment .This
means isolating the waste so that the rate or conc. of
any radionuclide's returned to the biosphere is harmless.
For the more dangerous wastes, the preferred
technology to date has been deep and secure burial.
Transmutation, long-term retrievable storage, and
removal to space have been suggested.
• Nuclear devices should never be exploded in air. If
these activities are extremely necessary they should be
exploded underground.
• In nuclear reactions, closed-cycle coolant system with
gaseous coolants of very high purity may be used to
24. Cond.
* Nuclear reactors must be enclosed in broad concrete
walls to prevent the radiations that emerge out.
* Workers should wear protective garments and glass
spectacles should be screened from radiation.
* Extreme care should be exercised in the disposal of
industrial waste contaminated with radionuclide's. The
spend rods are very radioactive containing about 1% U
235 and 1% plutonium.
* In nuclear and chemical industries, the use of radio-
isotopes may be carried under a set of soil or water
instead of power or gaseous forms.
* In Nuclear mines, wet drilling may be employed along the
underground drainage.
25. Nearly every other country with a nuclear energy
program, has determined that Deep Geologic
Disposal is the safest system of permanent nuclear
Deep underground disposal
Disposal of nuclear waste in
USSR
27. The bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki, Japan in 1945, &
the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Station disaster in April
1986. Within five years the bombing as many as 225,000
people had died & the death tolls to 2,000,00 in Ukraine
Nuclear hazard : Global scenario
Source :
NASA
29. AEC : Atomic energy commission , main policy body
for nuclear energy in India
NPCIL :Nuclear power corp. Of India Ltd.
Responsible for commissioning & operation of NPP
Nuclear hazard : Indian perspective
Source :
NPCIL
33. What we have to do in case of nuclear accidents
In case of nuclear accidents first evacuate the
areas that seems to be in the range of
radioactive element. i.e. go to safer place
(radiation free zone).
Avoid direct contact with the radiations. i.e.
Cover all the body parts in order to check the
penetration of harmful rays radiating from the
element.
Store plenty of water around you, it helps you
to thrive well.
Also helps others to reach at safer places.
Follow the govt. Instructions.
34. References
NCERT Textbooks
ISRO Research papers published on nuclear
pollutions.
NASA article on nuclear hazards world wide .
AEC
NPCIL
Article by BHABHA Atomic Research Institute
on nuclear energy
35. prepared by
h . mishra
Thank you
“success needs
sacrifice”
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