Radioactive pollution is the release of radioactive materials into the environment primarily from nuclear power plants, nuclear weapons, and medical waste. This pollution can be categorized into ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, with significant effects on human health and the environment, including cancer and damage to soil and plant life. Various regulations and preventive measures, such as the Atomic Energy Act and proper disposal practices, are in place to mitigate the risks associated with radioactive waste.

2. Radioactive Pollution
-It is the release of something unwanted
into the environment and, in this case, the
unwanted thing is radio active material.
-This type of pollution occur by either the
dumping of radioactive waste from nuclear
power plants in the bodies of water.

3. SOURCES OF RADIO
ACTIVE POLLUTION

4. 5. Radio active Waste
The nuclear power plants produce a lot of nuclear radio-active waste.
The disposal of this wastes has become a global problem.
6. Nuclear Explosion
During nuclear explosion, a large number of radio nuclides are
generated in the atmosphere.
7. Radio isotopes
Radio isotopes are also prepared artificially either by nuclear fusion or
by nuclear fission.
8. Television Set
Television sets produce radiation which can also cause cancer.

5. Who discovered radioactive
pollution?
March 1, 1896: Henri Becquerel discovers
radioactivity in one of the most well known
accidental discoveries in the history of physics.
On an overcast day in March 1896, French
physicist Henri Becquerel opened a drawer and
discovered spontaneous radioactivity.

8. Types of Radioactive Pollution
• Ionizing radiation
It is the short wavelength radiation
emitted by certain unstable isotopes
during radioactive decay.
Five types of ionizing radiation
1. alpha particles
2. beta particles
3. positrons
4. gamma rays
5.X-rays

9. Positively charged particles
consisting protons and two
neutrons emitted from the
nucleus of some radioactive
atoms. An alpha particles is
the nucleus of helium atom.
Unstable atoms with a low
neutron to proton may emit
alpha particles.
alpha particles (a)

10. •Negative charged, fast moving
electrons emitted from the nucleus of
various radionuclides. Unstable
atoms with a high neutron- to- proton
ratio emit negatively- charges beta
particles.
Beta particles (B-)

11. •Positively charged, fast-moving
electrons emitted from the nucleus of
certain radionuclides. Unstable atoms
with a low neutron to proton ration
can emit positrons.
Positron (B+)

12. •High energy electromagnetic photons
emitted from the nucleus of an
unstable, excited atom. Gamma rays
are pure energy and can travel great
distance at high speed.
Gamma rays (y)

13. High energy electromagnetic photons
emitted from outside the nucleus. The
primary difference between X-rays and
gamma rays is that X-rays are emitted
from process outside the nucleus, but
gamma rays originated inside the nucleus.
X-rays

14. Non-ionizing radiation
• refers to those electromagnetic radiations
are not energetic enough to cause
ionizations in matter.
Types of non-ionizing radiation
1. Microwaves
2. visible radiation
3. ultra violet radiation
4. very low electromagnetic fields
5. radiofrequency energy from cell phones.

15. Natural Sources of
Radiation

16. Internal- occurs when people swallow or breah in
radioactive materials or when radioactive materials
enters the body through an open wound or are
absorbed through the skin.
Cosmic radiation - exposes the body to radiation in
a manner similar to exposure from a medical x-ray.
Solar radiation - is a general form for the
electromagnetic radiation emitted by the Sun.

17. Man-made Sources of
Radiation
1. Production of Nuclear weapons
2. Decomissioning of Nuclear weapons
3. Mining Radioactive ore
4. Coal ash
5. Medical waste
6. Nuclear power plants

18. Production of Nuclear Weapons
• Radioactive materials used in this
production have high health risks
and release a small amount of
pollution. Thanks to good current
health-standards this release is not
significant and is not a danger to
us unless an accident occurs.

19. Decommissioning of
Nuclear Weapons
• The decommissioning of
nuclear weapons causes
slightly more radioactive
pollution than in the
production, however, the waste
(alpha particles) is still of low
risk and not dangerous unless
ingested.

20. Mining Radioactive Ore
•Mining this involves crushing
and processing of the
radioactive ores and this
generates radioactive waste
which emits alpha particles. This
waste is of low risk unless
ingested.

21. Coal ash
It may come a surprised that coal ash
can be very dangerous. Some coal
contains more radioactive material than
usual and is often referred to as ‘dirty’
coal; when this is burnt the ash become
more radioactive as the radioactive
particles do not burn well. This level of
radio activity is less than in phosphate
rocks.

22. For Medical Waste
• A number of radioactive
isotopes are used in medicine,
either for treatment or
diagnostics. These can be left
to decay over a short period
after which they are able to be
disposed of as normal waste.

23. Nuclear power plants
Nuclear power plants under current
standards produced little radioactive
pollution due to safety precautions that
must be adhered to. Accidents at these
powerplants can cause dangerously high
radioactive pollution, such as in the case of
Chernobyl, the most well-known and the
worst nuclear disaster in the history and
the more recent Fukushima, after the
earthquake and tidal wave in Japan.

24. TYPES OF POLLUTION
•Continuous Pollution
This type of condition exists in uranium mines,
nuclear reactors, test labs etc. where the
humans are under continuous exposure to
radioactive contaminants and protective
clothing is required to avoid radiation
exposure.

25. •Accidental Pollution
This type of condition exists during accidental
exposure to radiations by virtue of equipment
failure, radiation leak, faulty protective
equipment etc.
•Occasional Pollution
This condition exists during isolated
experiment or test of nuclear substance.

26. Uses of Radiation
In medicine
Radiation and radioactive
substances are used for diagnosis,
treatment, and research.
In communication
All modern communication
systems use forms of electromagnetic
radiation. Variations in the intensity of
the radiation represent changes in the
sound, pictures, or other information
being transmitted.

27. In Science
Researchers use radioactive atoms to
determine the age of materials that were once
part of a living organism.
The age of such materials can be
estimated by measuring the amount of
radioactive carbon they contain in a process
called radiocarbon dating.

28. Effect of Radiation

29.  On Human Beings
• The impact of radioactive pollution on
human being can vary from mild to fatal;
the magnitude of the adverse effects
largely depends on the level and duration
of exposure to radioactivity.
• Long-term exposure or exposure to high
amounts of radiation can have far more
serious health effects.

30. • The rapidly growing/dividing cells, like
those of the skin, bone marrow, are more
sensitive towards radioactive emission.
• Rays from radioactive element can cause
- burns, cancers (skin cancer, lung cancer,
thyroid cancer)
• Death
-hair loss
• Heart failure
-can damage brain cells

31. In Soil Fertility
Due to the Improper Disposal of Radioactive
Waste. Improper disposal of radioactive waste can
severely contaminate the soil and result in soil
pollution.
What is radioactive pollutants in soil pollution?
The term radioactive contamination indicates the
unintended or undesirable presence of radioactive
substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids,
gases, or biota.

32. Radioactive on plants directly
Plants are also exposed to radiation, and much of the damage is
caused by increased UV waves. Similar plants are differently
affected.
Effects on Plant Life
• Reduced seed germination
• Mortality, including both acute lethality and long-term reduction
in life span.
• Direct burn damage to exposed tissue.
• Growth reduction, defined as a reduction in the rate of growth of
organisms.
• DNA Damage, defined as any damage to DNA molecules.

33. Radioactive pollution to
water
• Dumping of Radioactive Waste:
The application of radioactive
elements in nuclear weapons,
X-rays, MRI and other medical
equipment causes their
exposure to human
beings. Dumping of these
radioactive wastes in surface
water bodies causes water
pollution

34. Prevention • Nuclear devices should be exploded under
ground.
• Contaminants may be employed to decrease the
radio active emissions.
• Production of radio isotopes should be
minimized.
• Extreme care should be exercised in the disposal
of industrial wastes contained with
radionuclide’s.
• Used high chimney and ventilations at the
working place where radioactive contamination is
high.

35. • Used high chimney and ventilations
at the working place where
radioactive contamination is high.
• In nuclear mines, wet drilling maybe
employed along with underground
drainage.
• Fission reactions should be
minimized.

36. Treatment of Radioactive pollutant
• The study demonstrates an efficient method
for decontamination of groundwater based on
bacteria in sludge that naturally convert
uranium into an insoluble form that can be
more easily removed.
• Nuclear processing- Already, caesium-137,
stromium-90 and a few other isotopes are
extracted for certain industrial applications
such as food irradiation and radioisotope
thermoelectric generators.

37. Steps taken against it
• 1. Atomic energy act,1962.
• 2. Regulatory body, constituent in 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).

38. Thank you