Botkin and Keller

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Chapter 19

• Nuclear Energy and the Environment

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Nuclear Energy

• Nuclear Energy
• The energy of the atomic nucleus
• Nuclear Fission
• The splitting of the atomic nuclei
• Nuclear Fusion
• The fusing of atomic nuclei
• Nuclear Reactors
• Devises that produce controlled nuclear fission

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Fission Reactors

• As fission occurs, energy is released.
• Major components of a fission reactor
• Core, control rods, coolant, reactor vessel
• Burner Reactors a type of nuclear reactor that
  consumes more fissionable material than it
  produces
• Meltdown a nuclear accident in which the nuclear
  fuel forms a molten mass that breaches the
  containment of the reactor, contaminating the
  outside environment with radioactivity.

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Sustainability and Nuclear Power

• Nuclear Radiation occurs when when a radioisotope
  spontaneously undergoes radioactive decay and
  changes into another isotope
• 3 types of nuclear radiation Alpha, Beta, Gamma
• Breeder Reactor
• a type of nuclear reactor that utilizes between
  40-70 of its nuclear fuel and converts fertile
  nuclei to fissile nuclei faster than the rate of
  fission
• Produces nuclear fuels

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Nuclear Energy and the Environment

• Nuclear Fuel Cycle
• the process involved in producing nuclear power
  from the mining and processing of uranium to
  controlled fission, the reprocessing of spent
  nuclear fuel, the decommissioning of power plants
  and the disposal of radioactive waste
• Each part of the cycle is associated with
  different potential environmental problems

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Effects of Radioisotopes

• Radioisotope an isotope of a chemical element
  that spontaneously undergoes radioactive decay
• Effect Environment in 2 Ways
• Emitting radiation
• Entering ecological food chains

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Nuclear Power Plant Accidents

• Three Mile Island
• Chernobyl

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Radioactive Waste Management

• Low-Level Radioactive Waste
• Waste materials that contain sufficiently low
  concentrations or quantities of radioactivity so
  as not to present a significant environment
  hazard if properly handled
• Transuranic Waste
• Radioactive waste consisting of human-made
  radioactive elements heavier than uranium
• Contaminated clothing rags, tools, etc.
• High-Level Radioactive Waste
• Extremely toxic nuclear waste, such as spent fuel
  elements from commercial reactors.
• How do we dispose of this waste material?

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