Nuclear Waste

Health Effects

• Central nervous system dysfunction
• Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Damage to gastrointestinal tract
• No capacity to reproduce new blood cells, uncontrolled bleeding
• Life threatening infections

UNSAFE AMOUNTS OF RADIATION: EXPOSURE V. HEALTH

Positive/Negative Impacts

• Results in human death
• Damages environment
• Emits fewer greenhouse gases
• Source of generating electricity

Laws and Statistics

• 51 million passenger cars would have to be eliminated to save the amount of nitrogen oxide emissions
• 134 to 136 million passenger cars have to be eliminated to keep U.S. carbon dioxide emissions from increasing
• Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) supports the safe storage and disposal of nuclear waste

History of Nuclear Disasters

• Chernobyl- explosion of unit four because of failed test systems, releasing radioactive waste
• Fukushima Daiichi- earthquake and tsunami destroyed nuclear power plant by cutting off the power of cooling systems, which resulted in the plant overheating/ exploding.

Prevention/Help

• Containment of the waste in radiation-shielded containers usually buried underground
• Isolation of radiation waste in remote locations
• EPA- Environmental Protection Agency
• NRC- Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Chernobyl Power Plant

Fukushima Daiichi Disaster

Facts of Nuclear Waste

• Nuclear power plants generate about 20% of U.S. electricity.
• Nuclear energy is being used in more than 30 countries around the world and even powers Mars rovers.
• 1 in 5 households and business in the US are electrically powered by nuclear energy.

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