August 2014

Nuclear Weapons 89 - Antineutrinos May Be Able to Monitor Plutonium Production in Nuclear Reactors

         I have posted about nuclear weapons and nuclear disarmament before. One of the problems with disarmament is the question of verifying that a nation has actually reduced their nuclear stockpile. While direct inspections are one method, you have to trust that the nation being inspected does not have a hidden stash of warheads or weapons grade nuclear materials tucked away somewhere. This is especially relevant when we are talking about the situation in Iran.

Radioactive Waste 88 - Why Some Communities Actual Want a Nuclear Waste Depository

             While there is wide spread concern about nuclear waste in the United States, some small towns are lobbying to host nuclear waste dumps. I have posted several blogs about the problems at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, New Mexico. After particles of plutonium and americium were detected twenty miles away from the WIPP site, the repository was shut down. It was found that a waste drum had exploded and released its contents.

Nuclear Reactors 155 - Fermi Nuclear Plant on Lake Erie is Contributing to Toxic Algae Bloom

             I have blogged about many problems connected to the use of nuclear reactors to generate electricity. One of the issues that I don't think gets enough attention is the question of water use. Nuclear reactors take a huge amount of water to cool the reactor. In the last few years reactors have been shut down because the lake or ocean water being used for cooling is too warm. With global climate change warming water around the world, this problem will just get worse.

Dangers of Photoactivation of Natural Uranium Particles on Human Skin

             The health risks from exposure to natural uranium have been studied extensively. Particles of naturally occurring uranium on human skin can cause skin cancers. It is also well known that ultraviolet light exposure can cause skin cancer. Now it appears that there may be a synergistic effect of ultraviolet light "photoactivating" uranium particles on bare the skin that increases the danger of skin cancer.

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