How can I protect myself from a nuclear emergency?
Nuclear plants use heat generated from nuclear fission to turn water into heat, which powers the engines to produce electricity. Nuclear plants operate in most states of the country and produce around 20 percent of the nation’s energy. Almost 3 million Americans live within 10 miles of nuclear plants.
Although construction and operation of these facilities are closely supervised and regulated by the Nuclear Regulating Commission (NRC), accidents are possible. Accidents could lead to dangerous levels of radiation that might affect the health and safety of citizens living near a nuclear power plant.
Local and state governments, federal and power agencies have plans of emergency response in case of an incident in a nuclear power plant. The plan defines two “emergency areas”. One zone covers an area within a ratio of 10 miles of the plant, where people could possibly be affected by direct radiation exposure. One zone covers an area within a ratio of 10 miles of the plant, where people could possibly be affected by direct radiation exposure.
The potential danger of an accident in a nuclear power plant is radiation exposure. This exposure could be the result of a release of radioactive material of the plant to the environment, which characterized is usually characterized by a plume (cloud-like formation) of radioactive gas and particles. Main risks for people in the proximity of the plume are radiation exposure in the body of the cloud and particles deposited on the terrain, inhalation of radioactive material and intake of radioactive material.
Radioactive material are made of unstable atoms. An unstable atom emits its excess energy until it becomes stable. The energy is the radiation issued. Each of us is exposed to daily radiation from natural sources, including the Sun and the Earth. Small traces of radiation are present in food and water. Radiation is also released from sources created by man such as X rays machines, televisions and microwave ovens. Radiation has an accumulative effect. The longer a person is exposed to radiation, the greater is the effect. A high exposure to radiation may cause a serious disease or death.
Although the risk of a chemical accident is low, knowing how to handle these products and how to react during an emergency may reduce the risk of injuries.
