1. Health-related Issues of Nuclear Energy
Health-related Issues of Nuclear EnergyThe term atomic energy can be defined as the form
of energy that is obtained from the atomic nucleus. This energy can be obtained by fusion,
fission or through a process called radioactive decay. It may also be used to define: the
energy needed to split an atom, the potential energy of the particles in the atom or the
utilization of nuclear fission to release energy that can be used in several useful ways. It is
believed that humans are on the high risk of exposure to the natural radiation daily. The
forms of natural radiation include those from space, natural radioactive materialism soil,
water and air. One of the major causes of natural radiation is the radon gas. Another form of
radiation is the one that is from man made sources that include the X rays machines and so
many other medical devices. Radiation is measured in Sieverts units and it is believed that
on average each individual is exposed to about three Milli Sieverts per year. From this,
about eighty percent is from natural forces, 19% is from medical exposure while the
remainder is from the manmade forms of radiation. It is believed that the exposure to
radiation may vary from place to place depending on the geographical; conditions of the
area. It is reported that there are instances where by some people can be exposed to about
two hundred times ( Luckey T D, 2008)HypothesisThere is a lot of health risks associated
with the exposure of radioactive rays on humans.ObjectivesTo investigate the number of
health risks associated with the radioactivity.To investigate the extent of the effects of
radioactivity.To investigate the various forms of radioactive materials that affects the
people’ s health.Research questionsWhat are the health risks associated with the
radioactive materials?What is the extent of the risk associated with the radioactivity?What
are the various forms of radioactive materials that affect the health of the people?The scope
of the studyThe research ill be carried out in the areas of The Chernobyl nuclear reactor
disaster. We shall investigate the effects the nuclear reactors have had on the lives and
health of the people. We shall also evaluate the types of radioactive materials in the area of
target. We shall further evaluate the extent of the risk associated with the nuclear energy
(Luckey T D, 2008)Nature of the problemPeople can be exposed to the radioactive materials
through either external or internal radiation. External irradiations arise when individuals
are in contact with the external sources like the X rays or when the materials that are
radioactive come in contact with clothes in terms of dust or liquids that may then eventually
find their way to the skin. On the hand the internal radiations may occur when the
individual inhales or swallows the radioactive material. It can also be through the open
wounds.For the case of the nuclear plants accidents, land, people and any other structure
2. that may be around is in contact with the radioactive materials .The main culprits of health
concern in case of nuclear explosion are the radioactive forms of caesium and iodine. The
people may be affected by radiations through the food or water if these sources are
contaminated. Travelers from the areas of radioactivity may pose a health risk to the people
they are going to. This is especially so in case they have not undergone the adequate
decontamination and screening. (Lovins A B, 2005).At this time, only those involved in the
emergency response near the nuclear power plant remain in the area where there are
higher levels of radioactivity. For their own safety, all personnel in these areas should
undergo decontamination procedures when they leave the site. It is also believed that, any
body travelling from the area that was affected by nuclear accident may transmit or be of
risk to the people they come in contact with them in the areas they are going to. The people
travelling from these areas must thus go through the proper evaluation and also removing
the contaminating material that may be of the intense radio active health challenges. Any of
the people that may have undergone all the above procedures is free from any
contamination and are free to travel to any part of the world. This is according to the United
Nations scientific committee on the effects of atomic radiation report (2000).It is thus not a
pre-requisite for screening to be done on these people.There are a lot of health effects that
are posed by the nuclear reactions. They spun from acute to long term effects. The acute
effects include: first, beyond the normal threshold of radiation, the radiation can produce a
lot of effects like the loss of hair, reddening of the skin burns caused by radiation and acute
radiation syndrome. But in a large population especially when there is a nuclear accident,
the amount of exposure will be in insufficient amounts to cause any adverse effect (Lovins A
B, 2005).But the rescuers, those working in the power plants and the people who respond
first to the accident are believed to have adverse effects of the radiation as mentioned
above. Secondly the people can also suffer from long term effects arising from the exposure.
It’ s believed that the prolonged exposure may lead to high instances of cancer. This is
because radioactive iodine released during nuclear emergencies can be inhaled or
swallowed. This then accumulates in the thyroid gland causing thyroid cancer. To prevent
the risk of contracting the cancer in people exposed to radioactive material, the people are
advised to take potassium iodide tablets. This is believed to reduce the uptake of the
radioactive iodine.Another shocking fact is that, the instances of thyroid cancer are high in
children and young adults as compared to the adults. The radiation has also a lot of adverse
effects on the developing fetus. This is especially so in the weeks of 8-25.The risks on the
fetus are brain damage that is reported in fetuses that were exposed to acute doses of
radiation of about or more than 100 mSv. Beyond the age of 25 weeks there is no known
risk to the fetus. The risk of cancer in childhood can also be increased by fetal exposure to
doses of about 100mSv (Luckey T D, 2008)There is also some evidence that nuclear
accidents can cause emotional problems in children. It is believed that the disturbances and
their preceding effects, may affect the child’ s behavior in later years. It is reported that
children in such situations exhibit the signs of stress .These include loss of appetite, loss of
sleep, the child develops new fears of life and the children may also change their behavior
and it is believed that they may even start habits like bed wetting which they initially did
not have.The children are also preoccupied by the crisis that may have occurred and at this
3. time the family should give them more attention to help them cope. Children are the most
affected by the nuclear accidents. This is because they don’ t even know what is going on
around them. They also don’ t know the process, the short term and long term effects of the
emergency. (Lovins A B, 2005).Justification of the problemIt is believed that in the
beginning, the health related problems that accrued from the nuclear energy related
emissions were thought to be due to the exposure of the individual to the radioactive
materials. The exposure was in terms of several thins that included how much the radiation
was released from the reactor, the prevailing whether conditions, the distance the
individual is from the reactor and how long the individual is in the reactor. Thus when there
was a nuclear explosion in fukoshima, the government of Japan used the conditions that
existed earlier on. The government had to evacuate the people who were living in the radius
of twenty kilo meters around the plant. This means that people near the plant are at high
risk of the exposure to the radioactive materials (Lovins A B, 2005).Additionally, according
to the national academy of sciences, there is the risk of radioactive exposure on food
contamination. When an individual consumes food poisoned with the radioactive materials
will be affected with adverse health effects. The radioactive materials like the Iodine and
Caesium that contained radioactive amounts above the normal recommended limits in
Japan were found in most foods that were investigated in during a food monitoring exercise
carried out in the country.It’ s for this reason that the Japan government has come up with
punitive measures that prohibit the sale and use of these foods in the country .As to
whether these (radiations from Japan plants can be of danger to the outside countries away
from Japan, the research has shown that there are less chances of the risk.According a
cohort study carried out to study the prevalence of thyroid cancer and other forms of
thyroid diseases in Ukraine revealed that since the 1990s, there has been an increase in
thyroid infections. It is estimated that about sixty percent of all the investigated cases in
Ukraine had thyroid cancer. This was especially among the children. This disease condition
is believed to have been because of the Chernobyl accident (Electric Power Research
Institute, 2009).Method of data collectionIn the collection of data in our survey we shall use
the specialists who were used in the management of radiogenic diseases in the Hiroshima
and Nagasaki blasts. The specialists will be administering the radioactive materials. The
specialists will be involved in the overall evaluation examination and medical examination
of the target group. We shall monitor on a regular basis the progress of the people after
having been exposed to the ionizing materials. The investigations will be done twice per
year among the children that are exposed to the radioactive materials. The investigation
will include an ultra sound scan of the endocrine gland and the thyroid gland to establish
the contents of the gland (Luckey T D, 2008).We shall also determine the amounts in blood
of thyrotropin, total and free thyroxin, triiodothyronine, thymoglobulin, antibodies against
thymoglobulin and microtonal fractions of the thyroid. In the process we shall also use
observation to observe the occurrence of growths indicative of goiter. According to
Crawford D, Richardson D Wing S (1997), we are also to carry regular test on the target
group to check for the appearance of thyroid cancers in the childrenResultsFrom the
research done, it was found that there has been a large increase in the number of thyroid
cancer cases especially in Ukrainian children with more than 60% of all observed children
4. being observed to have been adversely affected by the nuclear accident (Viktor K. Ivanov,
Russian Federation Medical Radiological Research Center)ConclusionFrom the above
information, it is clear that the nuclear energy use has a lot of risks associated with it as
much as they are a good source of energy. Its effects spurn from the psychological to
physical harm to the individual health. There thus have be some concerted efforts to make
the nuclear power plants to be carbon free. There are some suggestions put forward to help
curb this problem. According to the Uranium Information Centre 2005, there are some
technologies that are being tested by several countries aimed at coming up with the best
power options.According to Crawford D, Richardson D Wing S (1997) the issues of concern
before any country comes up with the decision to use nuclear energy in their country is to
consider all the side effects and benefits of this method. Similarly, according to Crawford D,
Richardson D Wing S (1997), like it’ s the case in South Africa, the people should consider
the safety, the necessity of the project, where the country will dump the associated waste,
the opinion of those to be affected and how the project will impact on the country and other
and its people.Furthermore there is a raging controversy of how safe the power plants that
generate the energy are. It has been reported that the nuclear plants have of late come to be
latest prime targets for the terrorist groups. This is because of the extent they are believed
to affect in case there is a nuclear accident in the target country.From the disasters that
occurred in Chernobyl and the long term effects of disposing the wastes accruing from the
reactors and the damages that are caused to the ecosystem the nuclear energy is not the
best option. It’ s for this reasons that the cost of nuclear energy seems to outweigh its
advantages. The national academy of sciences (2005) is of the opinion that we should
consider using other forms of energy apart from this unless there is something done on the
emissions associated with it.ReferencesBaue W (2005. Nuclear Power: Still an
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