![]() During the nuclear power plant accident of 1986 around 27 kg of Caesium-137 was expelled into the atmosphere. ![]() The ghost town of Pripyat near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine. In 2002, sixteen years after the disaster, a 4000 sq km area still contained too much Caesium-137 to be inhabited or used for agricultural purposes, according to a 2012 research paper titled “Cesium-137: A Deadly Hazard”. It was the predominant source of radiation in the fallout from the disaster. During the explosion around 27 kg of the metal was expelled into the atmosphere. One of the biggest Caesium-137 contaminations happened during the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident of 1986. Have there been major incidents involving Caesium-137? However, mishandling of industrial sources, a nuclear detonation or a major nuclear accident can cause it to leak. Large amounts of Caesium-137 are not found in the environment in normal circumstances. Internal exposure to it through ingestion or inhalation allows the radioactive material to be distributed in the soft tissues, especially muscle tissue, which increases cancer risk, warns EPA. External exposure can increase the risk of cancer because of the presence of high-energy gamma radiation. It is produced by nuclear fission it is also one of the byproducts of nuclear fission processes in nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons testing, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).Ĭaesium-137 can cause serious illness when touched, leading to burns and acute radiation sickness. Caesium-137 is the most common radioactive form of caesium. Department of Fire and Emergency Services handout via ReutersĬaesium is a soft, flexible, silvery-white metal that becomes liquid near room temperature, but easily bonds with chlorides to create a crystalline powder. Members of the Incident Management Team coordinate the search for a radioactive capsule that was lost in transit by a contractor hired by Rio Tinto, at the Emergency Services Complex in Cockburn, Australia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |