Radioactive pollution can occur from various human activities involving radioactive materials and can have harmful effects. Some key sources are nuclear power generation, nuclear fuel processing, uranium mining, and nuclear weapons testing. Exposure to radiation can cause both acute and long-term health effects like cancer and genetic damage. In India, leakage from nuclear power plants has contaminated water sources and studies found high uranium levels in children living near coal power plants, linked to birth defects and disabilities. Preventing leakage and properly disposing of nuclear waste is important to control radioactive pollution.

1. RADIOACTIVE
POLLUTION
LEKSHMI ROHINI
ID NO:

2. WWHAT IS RADIOACTIVEHAT IS RADIOACTIVE
POLLUTIONPOLLUTION??

3. Radioactive pollution can be defined as the
emission of high energy particles or
radioactive substances into air ,water or
land due to human activities in the form of
radioactive waste
Production of nuclear fuel
Nuclear power reactors
Use radio nuclides in industries for various
applications
Nuclear tests carried out by defense
personnel
Disposal of nuclear waste
Uranium mining

4. Radioactive
pollution that is
spread through
earth’s
atmosphere is
called fallout
The best example
of fallout is d
nuclear bomb
attack on
Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, japan in
1945 by united
states of America
during world war 2

5. Radioactive pollution is the increase in natural background radiation emerging from
the activities of human beings involving the use of naturally occurring or artificially
produced radioactive materials.
Radioactive substances are those which have the ability to emit high energy particles
like alpha and beta particles and gamma rays. Radioactive substances are unstable in
nature and are continuously emitting these particles in order to gain some stability.
Radioactive pollution is not a constant or regular phenomenon and hence the
duration and frequency of pollution will vary with time and conditions. The three
major types of conditions exist.
(i) Continuous pollution: This type of condition exists in Uranium mines, nuclear
reactors and laboratories where the humans are under continuous exposure to
radioactive contaminants.
(ii) Accidental pollution: This type of condition exists during accidental exposure to
radiations by virtue of equipment failure, radiation leak, faulty protective equipment
etc; and
(iii) Occasional pollution: This condition exists during isolated experiment or test of
nuclear substance.

6. Nuclear waste comes from a number of sources:
Operations conducted by nuclear power stations
produce radioactive waste. Nuclear waste may
generate low to medium radiation over long period of
times. The radioactivity may contaminate and
propagate through air, water, and soil as well. The
main issue is the fact that nuclear waste cannot be
degraded or treated chemically or biologically.
Nuclear-fuel reprocessing plants in northern Europe
are the biggest sources of man-made nuclear waste in
the surrounding ocean. Radioactive traces from these
plants have been found as far away as Greenland.
Mining and refining of uranium and thorium. Mining of
radioactive ores (such as uranium and phosphate ores)
involve the crushing and processing of radioactive ores
and generate radioactive by-products.
Nuclear fuel cycle (used in many industrial, medical
and scientific processes).
SS
OO
UU
RR
CC
EE
SS

7. The sources of radiation pollution involve any process that emanates
radiation in the environment. The most common ones that can pose
moderate to serious health risks include:
Nuclear weapons – probably the highest amounts of human-induced
radiation pollution have been generated in the mid twenty century
through various experimental or combat nuclear detonations (that
ended the Second World War). Nuclear fuel cycle (used in many
industrial, medical and scientific processes).
Defense weapon production – may also release radioactivity from the
handled radioactive materials (usually of high health risks). However,
unless accident occurs, the current standards will not allow the release
of any significant amount of radiation.
Nuclear accidents – an already classic example of such accident is the
nuclear explosion, 1986 at a former Soviet nuclear power plant from
Chernobyl and explosion, 1979 at Three Mile Island nuclear-power
generating plant near Harrisburg, PA. The effects are still seen today.
Even accidents from handling medical nuclear materials or wastes
could have radiation health effects on workers.

9. EFFECTSEFFECTS
Radioactive substances are among the most toxic substances known.
Marie Curie, the Nobel laureate for discovery of radioactivity in
1903, became the victim of radioactive pollution and died of
leukemia.
The effect of radioactive pollution was noted in the early twentieth
century (1909).The minor who were working in uranium mines suffered
from skin burn and cancer.
Some of the major biochemical effects are well known in history during
second world war in Japan(1945) many people were died due to
radioactivity of the atom(atomic explosion)
Another prominent radioactive disaster was in 1984 Chernobyl, where
an atomic power station was met with accident.

10. The effects of radioactivity generates damage to gene pool, the
genetics of all living species.
Genetic damage from radiation effects are over life time and
generations.
Low levels of radiation exposure on a small portion of the body may
just affect the cell membranes and cause mild skin irritations.
Other immediate effects of short span exposure of nuclear radiation
are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of hair and nails, bruises owing to
subcutaneous bleeding etc.
High radiation exposure have much acute toxicity and can quickly kill
the victim. The victim declines in vitally and dies from anemia,
infection, and hemorrhage.
Delayed effects of radiation include cataracts, leukemia, malignant
tumors, cardio vascular disorders, premature aging and reduced life
span.

14. The following preventive measures should be followed to control
radioactive pollution.
(i) Prevention of leakage of radioactive elements from the nuclear
reactos.
(ii) Proper storage and disposal of nuclear wastes.
(iii) Regular monitoring and high risk analysis.
(iv) Global understanding about nuclear expossure
CCONTROL OF RADIOACTIVEONTROL OF RADIOACTIVE
POLLUTIONPOLLUTION

16. RRADIOACTIVEADIOACTIVE
POLLUTION INPOLLUTION IN
INDIAINDIA
Indian Government policies allow "permissible" levels of contaminated
water to be released from nuclear power plants. But "permissible" does
not mean that it is safe. Radiation is released from these plants in the
form of liquid, gases, and solid radioactive wastes all of the time. There
are nuclear power plants all over the country that have been leaking
contaminated water since the 1990s. The worst is that it doesn't take a
major disaster for these power plants to release radiation into
the environment. These high levels of radiation can finds its way into
the major rivers of India. With the major rivers being so important to
the people, it is very dangerous when the radiation is in the water.

17. Radioactive materials can be very dangerous to the health of many
people if it gets into the environment. If it gets into the air, it can
travel several hundred miles, which in turn can cause many people
to get sick, and can also cause cancer in the future. If the radiation
gets into the ground, it can make the soil very contaminated. This
can cause crops to go bad, and would cause farmers to not be able to
use the land for a very long time until all the radiation is gone. If the
radiation somehow is able to get into the water supplies, this could
contaminate the drinking water for a good portion of the country
which would make many people very sick. Many people use the
water to drink, bathe in, and to wash clothes, so if radiation gets into
the water it could potentially harm a big percentage of the
population in India.

18. IINDIANDIA: T: TOXICOXIC HHOTSPOTOTSPOT
OFOF UURANIUMRANIUM &&
NUCLEARNUCLEAR WASTESWASTES

19. India has developed nuclear warheads which can be launched on
strategically and tactically vital targets from land, sea and air. She is
also holding over 100 nuclear bombs and conducted 17 missile tests
this year to prove her supremacy in Asia.
Notably, India is running 22 nuclear, chemical and Biological plants for
hegemonic design in addition of spending huge amount on arms and
aircraft purchases’ deals with U.S. and Russia.
But unfortunately, Indian top brass failed to take measures of stopping
gas leakage, uranium theft cases and disposal of nuclear wastes. In fact,
self-styled ‘Shining India’ is portraying a false image of exemplary
patriotism, largest democracy and prosperity, whereas the UN reports
reveal

20. NNUCLEARUCLEAR
COLLOSUSCOLLOSUS
ININ
INDIAINDIA

21. IINDIANDIA''SS
GENERATIONGENERATION OFOF
CHILDRENCHILDREN CRIPPLEDCRIPPLED
BYBY URANIUMURANIUM
WASTEWASTE

22. PP
UU
NN
JJ
AA
BB
According to the Indian media, some scientists were of the
opinion that all the three major types of toxicity —
chemical, radiation and biological — were rampant in
Punjab.

23. “Their heads are too large or too small, their limbs too short or too
bent. For some, their brains never grew, speech never came and their
lives are likely to be cut short”: these are the children it appears
that India would rather the world did not see, the victims of a scandal
with potential implications far beyond the country's borders.
in the Punjabi cities of Bathinda and Faridkot knew something was
terribly wrong when they saw a sharp increase in the number of birth
defects, physical and mental abnormalities, and cancers. They
suspected that children were being slowly poisoned.
a top German laboratory revealed that hair samples of 80% of 149
neurologically-disabled children, mainly from Malwa region, had high
levels of uranium,
The children had massive levels of uranium in their bodies, in one case
more than 60 times the maximum safe limit

24. an Observer investigation has now uncovered disturbing
evidence to suggest a link between the contamination and the
region's coal-fired power stations. It is already known that the
fine fly ash produced when coal is burned contains
concentrated levels of uranium and a new report published by
Russia's leading nuclear research institution warns of an
increased radiation hazard to people living near coal-fired
thermal power stations.

25. The test results for children born and living in areas around the state's
power stations show high levels of uranium in their bodies. Tests on
ground water show that levels of uranium around the plants are up to
15 times the World Health Organisation's maximum safe limits. Tests
also show that it extends across large parts of the state, which is home
to 24 million people.
The victims are being treated at the Baba Farid centers for special
children in Bathinda – where there are two coal-fired thermal plants –
and in nearby Faridkot. It was staff at those clinics who first voiced
concerns about the increasing numbers of admissions involving severely
handicapped children. They were being born with hydrocephaly,
microcephaly, cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome and other
complications. Several have already died.

26. India's reluctance to acknowledge the problem is hardly
unexpected: the country is heavily committed to an expansion of
thermal plants in Punjab and other states. Neither was it any
surprise when a team of scientists from the Department of Atomic
Energy visited the area and concluded that while the concentration
of uranium in drinking water was "slightly high", there was
"nothing to worry" about. Yet some tests recorded levels of
uranium in the ground water as high as 224mcg/l (micrograms per
liter) – 15 times higher than the safe level of 15mcg/l
recommended by the WHO. (The US Environmental Protection
Agency sets a maximum safe level of 20mcg/l.)

27. Some scientists have proposed that the ground water may have been
contaminated by contact with granite rocks that rise above the ground
about 150 miles away to the south in the Tosham hills, in Haryana state.
A continuation of these rocks is believed to run deep below the thick
alluvial deposits that form the plains of Punjab.
FFACTACT
"Natural radionuclides contained in coals concentrate in ash-and-slag
wastes and gas-aerosol emissions as these coals are fired at TPSs,
with the result that an elevated man-made radiation background
builds up around TPSs,"

28. A previous report in the magazine Scientific American, citing
various sources, claimed that fly ash emitted by power plants
"carries into the surrounding environment 100 times more radiation
than a nuclear power plant producing the same amount of energy",
adding: "When coal is burned into fly ash, uranium and
thorium are concentrated at up to 10 times their original

29. IINDIANDIA''SS URANIUMURANIUM MINESMINES
EXPOSEEXPOSE VILLAGESVILLAGES TOTO
RADIATIONRADIATION

30. JADUGODAJADUGODA

31. Uranium waste is pumped into this pond on UCIL's premises in
Jadugoda

32. Just 40 years ago, Jadugoda was a quiet and lush green locality with
no dust or radiation pollution. The people here lived a quiet rural life.
But things changed when the Indian government started mining
operations here in 1967
Radioactive waste generated by three nearby government-owned
mines has caused serious health-related problems in Jadugoda. The
mines belong to Uranium Corporation of India Limited - or UCIL. They
employ 5,000 people and are an important source of income for
villagers in this relatively remote area. But the waste has put 50,000
people, mostly from tribal communities, at risk.
A recent study of about 9,000 people in villages near the mines has
documented cases of congenital deformities, infertility, cancer,
respiratory problems and miscarriages.
Nuclear scientist Sanghmitra Gadekar, who was responsible for
conducting the survey on radioactive pollution in villages near the
mines, says there was a higher incidence of miscarriages and still
births.

33. “budha weeps in Jadugoda” is a
vedio movie which received the
grant prize in the global
environment image festival 2000

34. IINDIANNDIAN PROGRAMMEPROGRAMME
ONON RADIOACTIVERADIOACTIVE
WASTEWASTE
MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC)Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC)

37. Low and intermediate level wastes
(i)delay and decay
(ii)dilute and disperse
(iii)con-centrate and contain
Low and intermediate level wastes
1.Liquid waste Several processes such aschemical
precipitation, ion exchange,
evaporation, reverse osmosis,
areemployed
2.Solid waste Low active combustible wastes are incinerated
and compactable wastes are reduced in
volume by mechanical compaction. The final
packaged conditioned waste is then disposed
off in near surface disposal facilities

38. As a national policy, NSDF is co-located at each site of nuclear
installations inIndia

39. 3.Gaseous waste Specific absorbers are also used to remove
volatile radionuclides like iodine, rutheniun etc.
The off gaes are finally routed through high
efficiency particulate air filters (HEPA)
Heigh level waste
1.Vitrification process
2.Deep geological disposal
3.Recycle and reuse

43. LAWS REGULATING NUCLEARLAWS REGULATING NUCLEAR
SCIENCE AND RADIOLOGICALSCIENCE AND RADIOLOGICAL
ACCIDENTS IN INDIAACCIDENTS IN INDIA
1.Atomic energy act, 1962
2.Regulatory body ,constituent on nov 15 1983
3.Radiation protection rules, 1971
4.Atomic energy (safe disposal of radioactive waste) rules, 1987
5.Environmental protection act,1986
6.Indian penal code: section 268
7.Criminal procedure code: section 133 to 144(1973)
8.Civil procedure code: section 91
9.Law of torts

44. RADIOACTIVE WASTERADIOACTIVE WASTE
MANAGEMENT: INDIANMANAGEMENT: INDIAN
SENERIOSENERIO
Radioactive waste disposal practices have changed substantially over
the last twenty years
Evolving environmental protection considerations have provided the
impetus to improve disposal technologies, and, in some cases, CLEAN
UP facilities that are no longer in use. Designs for new disposal
facilities and disposal methods must meet environmental protection
and pollution prevention standards that are stricter than were
foreseen at the beginning of the atomic age.

45. Disposal of radioactive waste is a complex
issue, not only because of the nature of the
waste, but also because of the stringent
regulatory structure for dealing with
radioactive waste. India has achieved self-
reliance in the management of all type of
radioactive waste. Decades of safe and
successful operation of our waste
management facility stand testimony to
international standards. An ongoing effort to
upgrade technology to minimize radioactive
discharge is also on.