LET'S REDUCE RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION

 

WHAT IS RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION?

The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of living organisms and their environment as a result of the release of radioactive substances into the environment during nuclear explosions and testing of nuclear weapons, nuclear weapon production and decommissioning, mining of radioactive ores, handling and disposal of radioactive waste, and accidents at nuclear power plants. Nuclear tests are carried out to determine the effectiveness, yield, and explosive capability of nuclear weapons. The proportion of radioactive pollution is 15% of the total energy of the explosion. Radioactive pollution of water, water sources, and air space is the result of radioactive fallout from the cloud of a nuclear explosion. Radionuclides are the main sources of pollution; they emit beta particles and gamma rays, radioactive substances.

HOW CAN WE REDUCE-IT?

• Select reagents and procedures that minimize the volume and toxicity of all wastes. If feasible, design experiments in such a way that radioactive wastes are generated separately from chemically or biologically hazardous wastes  
• Avoid ordering radioactive materials in quantities that exceed your intended usage
• Non-radioactive wastes must never be mixed with radioactive wastes.  Failure to do this significantly increases the volume of wastes
• Non-radioactive tracers and methods are available for many common assays, and procedures used in biomedical
• Substitute with Short-lived Radionuclides where feasible
• Reduce the activity and volumes of materials used in the experiment to decrease the number of wastes generated
• Replace hazardous chemical solvents with formulations not regulated as hazardous or mixed wastes
• Limit the number of users of radioactive materials
• Limit the number of areas where radioactive materials are used 

 by Aruj Dwivedi