Chernobyl Case Study - Sarah Demers

Bryansk: the aftermath of Chernobyl 

Map of Chernobyl 

Background:

-Nuclear power plant located in Ukraine

-Included four pressurized water reactors 

-Provided 10% of energy used in Ukraine

-Construction of plant began in 1970's

Chernobyl Power Plant 2 days after explosion 

The Explosion:

-Explosion occurred on April 26, 1968

-Human error shutting down reactor 

-50 tons of nuclear fuel injected into atmosphere

-No immediate warning  

-Sand and boron poured on reactor to try and stop radioactive release 

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The Fallout:

-Bryansk Region in Russia received the highest level of radioactive fallout

-Evacuations began within twelve hours

-Incidences of thyroid cancer, leukemia, and other radiation-related illnesses 

-Fallout polluted ecosystems and human food sources 

Environmental Impacts:

-Main concern involved radioiodine, contamination of soil 

-Radioisotopes absorbed by plants 

-About 40% of all pine trees died within eight years

-Mutations in DNA of wheat

-Radiation accumulates in food chains

-Mutations common in animals and humans

-Relocation of Ukrainian citizens allowed ecosystems to flourish 

Ethical Concerns:

-By not informing the population, thousands were exposed to radiation without knowing it

-People were not able to react as quickly to the nuclear explosion

-Chernobyl did not have the containment structure common to most nuclear power plants

-The explosion could have been avoided if not for flawed reactor design and human carelessness

 An abandoned schoolroom twenty five years after the reactor explosion

Discussion Questions:

• Based off what we know about the disaster of Chernobyl, how do you think Nuclear Energy should be viewed in the 21st century?
• Some people argue that engineers have learned safer ways of constructing nuclear facilities. Does this justify the continuation of nuclear power plants?

• The USA is the world's largest producer of nuclear power, accounting for more than 30% of worldwide nuclear generation of electricity.
• If our country is so reliant on nuclear power plants for a source of energy, does this justify our reliance on other fossil fuels such as oil and gas, which are less dangerous to obtain? 

Work Cited:

"Backgrounder on Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Accident." United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. USA.gov, n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/chernobyl-bg.html>.

"Chernobyl Accident and Its Consequences." Nuclear Energy Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. <http://www.nei.org/Master-Document-Folder/Backgrounders/Fact-Sheets/Chernobyl-Accident-and-Its-Consequences>.

"Chernobyl Accident 1986." World Nuclear Association. World Nuclear News, n.d. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. <http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-Accident/>.

Flanary, W. (2013). Environmental effects of the Chernobyl accident. Retrieved from http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/152617

"How does Fukushima differ from Chernobyl?" BBC News. N.p., 16 Dec. 2011. Web. 25 Sept. 2013. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13050228>.

"Pros and Cons of Nuclear Power." Discovery. Discovery Communications, n.d. Web. 27 Sept. 2013. <http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/curiosity/topics/10-pros-cons-nuclear-power.htm>.