What are the dangers of nuclear power?

There are several factors on which the radioactive pollutants are dependent upon. They can be accounted as half-life, rate of diffusion, rate of deposition of the containment and also the energy releasing capacity. The effects are then aggravated in the presence or absence of certain atmospheric conditions and factors like the wind, the temperature conditions and rainfall too. This radiation pollution affects all the present organisms and spares none. The effects of which are experienced to be quite drastic and extremely dangerous. These effects can be broadly narrowed down to somatic, meaning the effects are shown in an individual on being exposed or affected or it can also be genetic damage and affect the future generations as well. The effects seen are cancer, having a short life span and genetic mutation.

Radioactivity was discovered in the year 1903 by Marie Curie the Nobel laureate which is the most toxic substance that is known till date. She became the victim thus of the radioactive pollution and succumbed to it dying of leukaemia. With high dosage of radiation exposure there is acute toxicity by immediately causing death of the victim. The victim is stricken with lower vitality and dies either by anaemia, haemorrhage or infection.

High exposure when faced in the gestation period leads to brain damage. Infants between the ages of eight to fifteen weeks of pregnancy exposed during the atomic attack of Second World War on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were detected to have a greater occurrence of brain damage with lowering of Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and also severe cases of mental retardation. The organs that are most susceptible to the effects of high radiation are the intestines, lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow and even the gonads. The radiation strongly degenerates and weakens the body immune system.

With lower quantities of radiation and minimised concentration of exposure on a small portion of the body might just affect the cell membranes and slight skin irritation. For a short span of exposure the immediate effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, nail and hair loss and even bleeding due to the subcutaneous bruises. When the effects get prolonged and the symptoms are seen after a delayed time the effects are different then. They might include cataracts, leukaemia, premature ageing, reduced life span, cardiovascular diseases and malignant tumours. These radiations have the ability to cause irreparable damage which can give rise to life threatening conditions due to damage of genetic material. There is growth of cancerous cells in the body due to genetic mutations. The genetic mutations are mainly carried forward and passed onto the future generations.

In occasions of any nuclear accidents there can be fallout. This leads to the contamination and polluting of the water bodies present in that area for many years after the occurrence of the accident. The organisms that are currently present in the water get susceptible to the radiations and show sensitivity among them. The nuclear disaster of Chernobyl of Ukraine in the year 1986 was caused due to the explosion of a nuclear generator. This incident created a huge radioactive cloud. The cloud consequently polluted existing water bodies which were the main supplies. It also was responsible for causing radioactive rain in many neighbouring nations. There were radiations with harmful influence which spread along the coastal areas. Thus the fishes and also the water thus got polluted. Nuclear radiations don’t spare soil also. They contaminate the soil, which cause the plants to take up the radiations within them and get radioactive themselves. The plants thus get a poor health and are threatened due to radiations.

The Marshall islands were also explored which was a testing ground for the U.S. military of all the nuclear bombs in the years from 1950s to 60s. The samples of soil and local food showed significant radiation levels in them. It was so much so to cause a serious health risk to any individual. Radiations damage chromosomes too. The frequency of chromosomal aberrations increases and is responsible for the genetic mutations taking place. These mutations affect the plant metabolism. They change the plant characteristics and it is thus continued for several generations.

Atomic Bomb – the invention to End all Inventions. This is the potential that any atomic or radioactive element possesses and thus needs to handle with extreme knowledge and responsibility.

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