Radon In Your Basement

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge F. Goldstein ◽  
Martin Goldstein
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Atomic Bomb ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Stone Concrete

We once saw a science fiction movie in which a monster from outer space is first detected because it sets Geiger counters clicking furiously. We were reminded of that movie by the story of how radon in homes first came to wide public attention. A nuclear power plant was built in a town in Pennsylvania, and like all such plants was equipped with radiation detectors, both to protect the health of employees and to prevent anyone from removing nuclear fuel from the plant. A newly employed engineer at the plant registered a high radioactivity when he walked by the detectors. This was not only alarming but surprising: the plant was not yet operating, and there should not have been any radioactive material around. It was quickly established that the source of the radiation was not the plant but the engineer’s house in a nearby suburban community, which had levels of radioactivity almost a thousand times greater than federal standards permit in mines. The radioactivity came from radon gas seeping into the house from the ground. Cigarette smoking is responsible for about 90% of lung cancers, but 10% of the victims of this disease had never smoked. It was already known that miners exposed to radon gas in uranium mines suffered a high rate of lung cancer, and the question immediately arose: could radon gas in homes be another cause of lung cancer? Radon in homes is not a consequence of the atomic bomb or the building of nuclear power plants; it is one of the major sources of the natural background radiation we are all exposed to. It is present even in outdoor air, and at higher concentrations in homes, castles, peasants’ hovels, and caves as long as people have lived in them. It is a product of the decay of the element uranium. Uranium is present to some extent in all minerals, so we expect to find more radon in houses built of stone or mineral products like stone, concrete, and gypsum than in houses built of wood, and we expect to find more of it in basements than in attics.

W cieniu radiacji. Seksualizacje bomby atomowej w kulturze popularnej lat 40. i 50. w Stanach Zjednoczonych

2017 ◽  
pp. 33-41
Author(s):  
Piotr Urbanowicz
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Popular Culture ◽  
Cultural Studies ◽  
Science Fiction ◽  
Atomic Bomb ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
The United States ◽  
Popular Cinema ◽  
Social Concerns ◽  
Science Fiction Films

The aim of the article is to present a phenomenon of the sexualization of an atomic bomb in the popular culture of the 1940s and the 1950s in the United States. On the basis of sociological and cultural studies, the author lists the functions of this phenomenon. Furthermore, he uses the examples of press reports and popular cinema to indicate that the sexualization of the atomic bomb resulted from fear of sterilization and assimilation of soldiers coming back from the front. The analysis concerns the film I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958). The author proves that science fiction films conceptualize social concerns, and accustom the viewers with atomic tension by means of appropriate narratives.

The Development of Non Destructive Remote Measurement Method of Concrete Contamination

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. E. Stepanov ◽  
V. N. Potapov ◽  
O. P. Ivanov
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Natural Radionuclides ◽  
Remote Measurement ◽  
Sample Analysis ◽  
Accuracy Of Measurements ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
Destructive Measurement ◽  
Non Destructive

In the frame of the decommissioning of nuclear power plants or laboratories, the penetration depth of the contamination in concrete surfaces: walls, floor, is unknown. Its knowledge requires sample analysis, that is time consuming and expensive. The main goal of the work is to define and evaluate a non-destructive measurement technique for the evaluation of the contamination depth in concrete. Estimation of accuracy of measurements for different contamination levels, time of measurement, value of natural radionuclides (NRN) concentration in concrete and background radiation dose were carried out. The type of relevant detector depends of selected limiting sensitivity, the weight and sizes of the device.

scholarly journals The governance of nuclear power in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-46
Author(s):  
Philip Andrews-Speed
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Power Industry ◽  
Nuclear Safety ◽  
The Body ◽  
Nuclear Power Industry ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Energy Agency ◽  
The Government

Abstract China has the third largest fleet of nuclear power plants in the world, totalling more than 45 GWe at the end of 2019. With the current high rate of growth, its capacity will soon overtake that of France. The country’s nuclear power industry has suffered no serious accidents to date. Nevertheless, the poor safety record of some other heavy industries in China, combined with the rapid growth of civil nuclear power capacity, has raised concerns over the industry’s ability to prevent a serious accident. The organization, development and governance of China’s nuclear power industry reflects the high strategic importance that the government has placed on the industry over several decades. At the same time, it has taken steps to address domestic and international concerns over its ability to effectively govern nuclear safety and security. The country has become party to most major treaties and conventions relating to nuclear matters and has frequent interaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Despite many significant steps taken by the government, a number of questions remain concerning: the capacity and independence of the National Nuclear Safety Administration; the relatively incoherent nature of the body of laws, regulations and rules that govern nuclear safety and security; the absence of a clear legal basis for managing civil nuclear liability, especially in the context of an accident with transboundary consequences; and the quality of public participation, especially in the case of planned nuclear power plants.

scholarly journals Development of measures to protect the population and prevent pollution based on the study of the radiation background of the object

2019 ◽  
Vol 140 ◽  
pp. 08011
Author(s):  
Margarita Antonova ◽  
Vyacheslav Yakovlev ◽  
Anastasia Scorokhodova
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Leningrad Region ◽  
Radiation Background ◽  
Radiation Level ◽  
Industrial Enterprises ◽  
Radioactive Substances

In the modern world, the energy of the atom is used in industry, medicine and other spheres of human activity. However, the usage of radioactive substances can have a negative impact on the environment, the health of workers and the public. Therefore, it is important to keep a close watch on the radiation situation in the immediate vicinity of facilities where radioactive substances are used or stored. These can be nuclear power plants and industrial enterprises, as well as areas with a naturally elevated background radiation level. In this paper, a study of the background radiation of the object of possible radioactive contamination – Gatchina Palace in Gatchina, Leningrad region was carried out. On the basis of measurements made, we have performed the calculation of the annual radiation doses of staff and tourists, as well as issued recommendations to ensure the radiation safety of employees and visitors of the Gatchina Palace.

Features of construction and possible use of powerful nuclear power plants of advanced spacecraft

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
V.N. Akimov ◽  
L.E. Zakharenkov ◽  
A.V. Karevskiy ◽  
E.Yu. Kuvshinova ◽  
A.V. Semenkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Outer Space ◽  
Electrical Energy ◽  
Experimental Development ◽  
And Control

The purpose of the study was to examine the use of spacecraft based on a nuclear power propulsion system in performing long-term tasks in space. The system uses a nuclear power plant to generate electrical energy, and electric propulsion engines to create thrust and control the apparatus. The study shows the advantages of using nuclear power plants when organizing missions in the near and outer space. First, we formulate the requirements for the characteristics of spacecraft with a nuclear power plant designed to perform various missions. Then, we consider the composition and principle of operation of a nuclear power plant and assess the effectiveness of the use of a space tug on the basis of a powerful nuclear power unit when solving problems of cargo transportation in space. Finally, we give recommendations for the construction, control algorithms and experimental development of a nuclear power plant.

Radon Exposure: A Hazard to Children

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 799-802
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Radioactive Decay ◽  
Decay Product ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Low Grade ◽  
Radon Gas ◽  
Decay Products

BACKGROUND In December 1984, a construction engineer who lived in Boyertown, PA, triggered radiation monitors while entering the Limerick nuclear power plant near Philadelphia. He had not been contaminated by radioactive materials at the plant; therefore, his home in nearby Berks County was tested. The concentration of radon gas there was 2,700 pCi/L of air, a level much higher than had ever been measured in a residence in the United States. In January, the engineer, his wife, and their two small children were advised to leave the home immediately. The family had been exposed to radiation levels more than 50 times the annual occupational limit for uranium miners. Radon levels in an adjacent house were low but were extremely high in other nearby houses. This region of the country, known as the Reading Prong, which encompasses parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, has geologic deposits of low-grade uranium ore. Radon gas, a relatively common natural indoor air pollutant is a radioactive decay product of uranium. Radon and its decay products have been shown to increase the risk of lung cancer in underground miners. More recently, radon has been recognized to be widespread in homes in the United States. An estimated 13,000 lung cancer deaths per year may be attributed to residential exposure to radon gas. In this statement the hazards of exposure to radon and its decay products, known as radon progeny or radon daughters, are reviewed. NATURE AND SOURCES OF RADON Radon is a colorless, odorless, inert radioactive gas.

scholarly journals The Environmental Radiation Analysis on the Residential Area Around Nuclear Power Plants

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Han Yoo ◽  
Hee Reyoung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Background Radiation ◽  
Radiation Monitoring ◽  
Internal Exposure ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Environmental Radiation ◽  
Radiation Level

The environmental radiation level and radioactivity were analyzed in the Ulsan which is close to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Ulsan is a Metropolitan city with a population of about 1,100,000 residents, where the density of NPPs is the highest in Korea. Environmental radiation monitoring in Ulsan has been performed since the radiation monitoring facility was opened in August 2012 and the radioactivity was measured and analyzed in the environmental samples for five months in Ulsan. The measurement of environmental radiation and radioactivity was carried out periodically for various samples including airborne dust, fallout, tap water, and precipitation. Also, sampled were the soil, rice, cabbage, and indicator plants such as Artemisia and pine needles. The basic data from the radioactivity analyses brought a fundamental data for assessing the internal exposure dose for the public due to the intake of the radio nuclides included in those samples. On the other hand, the gamma radiation in the environment was measured continuously by using an environmental radiation monitor of the ion chamber type. Actually, the measurement of gamma radiation is thought to provide the base-line data on environmental radiation/radioactivity for radiological emergencies and the real-time information compared with the background radiation. The measurement analyses showed that the radiation level of the Ulsan area is kept at a normal background level in spite of the operation of many nuclear power plants near it.

The Effects of Ion Implantation on the Surface Features of Inconel 600

1985 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
pp. 288-289
Author(s):  
John D. Rubio
Keyword(s):  
Grain Boundary ◽  
Ion Implantation ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Surface Region ◽  
Selective Dissolution ◽  
Boundary Region ◽  
Near Surface ◽  
Inconel 600 ◽  
Steam Generator Tubing

The degradation of steam generator tubing at nuclear power plants has become an important problem for the electric utilities generating nuclear power. The material used for the tubing, Inconel 600, has been found to be succeptible to intergranular attack (IGA). IGA is the selective dissolution of material along its grain boundaries. The author believes that the sensitivity of Inconel 600 to IGA can be minimized by homogenizing the near-surface region using ion implantation. The collisions between the implanted ions and the atoms in the grain boundary region would displace the atoms and thus effectively smear the grain boundary.To determine the validity of this hypothesis, an Inconel 600 sample was implanted with 100kV N2+ ions to a dose of 1x1016 ions/cm2 and electrolytically etched in a 5% Nital solution at 5V for 20 seconds. The etched sample was then examined using a JEOL JSM25S scanning electron microscope.

Work structure in nuclear power plants

1983 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie B. Bauman ◽  
Richard F. Pain ◽  
Harold P. Van Cott ◽  
Margery K. Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Nuclear Power Plants ◽  
Work Structure
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