Societal Aspects of Nuclear Technology

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Societal Aspects of Nuclear Technology

• Kathryn Higley
• Dept. Of Nuclear Engineering
• higley_at_ne.orst.edu

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Syllabus - Basics

• Dr. Kathryn Higley,
• Radiation Center
• 737-0675.
• Email higley_at_ne.orst.edu
• Course description
• Description and discussion of nuclear-related
  issues as they impact society.
• Time
• Tues, 7 - 950 pm, Nash 206.
• Some material posted
• http//www.engr.orst.edu/classes/ne/ne319/

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Syllabus Class Format

• Multiple lecturer format
• Weekly class structure
• Technical background presented on weekly topic
• Relevant issue (or issues) will be identified
• Discussion, debate, and /or role-playing will
  occur.
• Class will analyze pro and con sides of issue
• Class will reconvene and actively discuss/debate
  the issue.
• A brief quiz given at end of class.

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Syllabus Course Objective

• Provide an introduction and understanding of
  nuclear issues frequently encountered in our
  daily lives
• Assumes no particular background in science or in
  nuclear topics
• Not intended to be either pro- or anti-nuclear
• Provide students with understanding of selected
  nuclear technologies and controversies
  surrounding them

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Syllabus Course Objective

• Primary Textbooks
• "Nuclear Choices" by Richard Wolfson
• America the Powerless by Alan Walters
• Additional supplementary material, as required,
  will be provided  
• Grading
• Quizzes 40,
• Paper 30,
• Final exam 30.

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Lecture Schedule
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Lecture Schedule
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Nuclear News

• Nuclear Choices

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Nuclear Technology What Is It?

• Images of our world
• Weapons
• Reactors
• Nuclear waste
• Hiroshima
• Anti Nuclear Protests
• Media bring nuclear technology to our attention
• How to sort out the issues from the noise?

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Nuclear Weapons
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Common Perceptions of Nuclear Technology

• Understand our own biases

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Nuclear Power
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Nuclear Weapons

• Can any sane person make a case for their
  continued existence?

Nuclear Reactors

• If theyre so dangerous can we afford to use them?

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Nuclear Stuff in the Movies
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Other Radiation Tidbits - As Seen in the Media
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Media Stories

• Do I have to worry about radiation on airplanes?
• Is flying like working in a nuclear power plant?
• Does that mean nuclear plants are safe or flying
  is hazardous?

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Other Nuclear News
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Radon
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Radon

• What is it
• Should I get my house tested?
• Is it related to nuclear power?
• Why didnt someone tell me about it earlier?

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Print Media
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Nuclear Topics

• What to think

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Objective of Class

• Recognize that preconceived notions can hinder
  clear thinking and fruitful discussions
• Understand the basis of the technology
• Then decide

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Radiation Fictions

• Fear
• Its gonna blow!!!
• Controversy
• Were all gonna die!
• Misunderstanding
• Its not natural!
• Mistrust
• Theyre all liars. We know mutant bugs will
  take over the earth and enslave us.

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Radiation Facts

• Its been around forever
• We first noticed it 1895
• A lot was learned since then
• doctors radiation could cure cancer
• quacks radiation could kill people
• the Military radiation could kill a LOT of
  people
• Basic limits set in the 1950s still hold

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Sources of Environmental Radiation

• Radiation radionuclides older than the Earth
• Natural part of our environment
• Radiation field varies by geology, elevation,
  season, living conditions

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Sources of Artificial Radiation

• Medical
• Occupational
• Nuclear Fuel Cycle
• Fallout
• Petroleum Industries
• Power generation
• Other

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Quanties Units

• Amount (activity)
• Becquerel (Bq) dis/s
• Curie (Ci) 3.7 x 1010 dis/s
• Dose
• gray (Gy) 1 J/kg
• rad, 0.01 Gy
• Dose equivalent
• sievert (Sv)
• rem, 0.01 Sv
• Exposure (roentgen, R)

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Range of Doses

• General public - 360 mrem/y natural
• Radon 200 mrem
• Other natural 97 mrem
• Remainder 15 medical, 3 products, 1
  other
• Medical procedures (per procedure)
• CT head and body 110 mrem
• Chest X-ray 8 mrem
• Abdominal X-ray 56 mrem

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Percentage Contribution to Dose

• Contribution of various radiation sources to
  total average dose equivalent to persons in the
  United States (NCRP, 1987).

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Basic Facts

• Two main types
• electromagnetic (X-rays and gamma rays)
• particulate (electrons, protons, alpha
  particles..)
• Produced in the nucleus or through atomic orbital
  transitions
• Capable of ionizing (removing electrons) from
  atoms

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Electromagnetic Radiation
Wavelength
Frequency
Gamma Rays ?
Photon Energy
X Rays
Ultraviolet Light
Visible Light
Infrared (heat) radiation
Radio Waves
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Radiation Particles - ? ?
?, Helium-4 nucleus (radon is a source)
?, nuclear electron (40K is a source)
orbital electron
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Types and properties of ionizing radiation
Types of radiation Gamma Ray X-ray Beta Particle
(electron) Neutron Proton Alpha
Relative mass charge 0 0 0
0 0.0005 -/ 1 1 0 1
1 4 2
Range in Soft Tissue centimeters centimeters mill
imeters centimeters microns microns
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Radiation Effects in Living Tissues
Nuclide decays Emitted radiation ionizes
atom Free radicals created Cell/DNA attacked Cell
killed or damaged dead cell Þdead organ damaged
cell Þcancer(?)
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Routes of Radiation Exposure
Internal ?, ?, ?, n
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Range of Radiation Effects

• Hormesis (a little is good for you)
• Nothing
• Impaired organ function
• Cancer
• Genetic (mutation in offspring)
• Teratogen (impairment in offspring)
• Death

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Factors Determining Impact

• Radiation type ( ?, ?, ?, n )
• Duration of delivery (s ? y)
• Location (external or internal)
• Distribution in / around body
• Magnitude of dose
• Sensitive individual

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Predicting Radiation Effects

• Why the uncertainty?
• Not all effects are apparent
• Knowledge limitations (likely impact)
• Natural variations (radiation field changes)
• Measurement ability (you can only go so low)
• Dose is predicted
• Risk (death, cancer) projected
• Where do we get risk numbers?

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Radiation Effects Model
Real data
Potential Damage to Health
Doses Causing Observed Adverse Health Effects
Linear Hypothesis
370 mrem
100,000 mrem
Area of controversy
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Radiation Effects Data Base

• Mainly for people or lab rats
• Good data in high dose/high dose-rate region
• Limited/contradictory data in low dose/low-dose
  rate region
• Some data suggest threshold (10 rem)

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What about other biota?

• Insects are tough to kill
• Big trees are as sensitive as we are
• So are most mammals
• Fish and plants are about 10x more resistant
• But..
• radionuclides are more concentrated lower in
  food chain
• lower form biota naturally get higher dose

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Radiosensitivity of Species
Least Sensitive
Most Sensitive
Micro- organisms Inverte- brates Plants Fis
h Amphibians Birds Mammals Humans
10 100 1,000 10,000 100,000 1,000,000
Acute radiation dose, rads
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So

• Radiation in high doses can kill you
• Radiation in moderate doses increases your cancer
  risk
• Radiation at doses near or below background may
  (pick one)
• do nothing
• help you
• hinder you

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If you want more information

• Kathryn Higley
• Department of Nuclear Engineering
• 7-0675
• higley_at_ne.orst.edu

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Topic For Discussion

• How clean is clean enough?
• Or,
• A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing

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Hanford Cleanup

• See handout for additional information
• Answer this question
• How clean should we make Hanford?
• Pristine
• Localized hot spots
• Leave it alone
• From whose perspective should we argue?