Radioactive Pollution

Submitted By
Shaurya Tyagi
Class: X- B
 What is Radioactive Pollution /
Radioactive Contamination?

Radioactive contamination is defined as the deposition

or introduction of high energy particles or radioactive
substances into the environment (air, water or land) due
to human activities where their presence is
unintended, or the levels of radioactivity are
undesirable.
Radioactivity is a
phenomenon of
spontaneous emission of
proton (a-particles),
electrons (ß-particles)
and ?-rays (short wave
electromagnetic waves)
due to disintegration of
atomic nuclei of some
elements. These cause
radioactive pollution.
How Is Radioactive Pollution Caused?
Radioactivity can occur in one of two ways:
• Natural sources of radiation
• Cosmic radiation
• Terrestrial radiation
• Internal radiation
• Man-made sources of radiation
• Nuclear power plants
• Production and research of nuclear weapon
• Disposal of nuclear waste
• Mining of radioactive ore
• Medical waste
• Industrial radiography (X-ray imaging)
• Production and research of nuclear weapon
Radioactive material used in this production have
high health risks and release a small amount of
radioactive pollution.

• Mining of radioactive ore

Mining these involve crushing and processing of the
radioactive ores and this generates radioactive waste
which emits alpha particles.
• Medical Waste
A number of radioactive isotopes are used in
medicines, either for treatment or diagnostics. These
can be left to decay over a short period after which
they are able to be disposed off as normal waste.
• Nuclear Power Plant
Accidents at these power plants can cause
dangerously high radioactive pollution such as in
case of Chernobyl and recently in Fukushima of
Japan.
 Types of Pollution
• Continuous Pollution: This type of condition exists
in uranium mines, nuclear reactors, test labs etc.
where the humans are under continuous exposure to
radioactive contaminants and protective clothing is
required to avoid radiation exposure.
• Accidental Pollution: This condition exists during
accidental exposure to radiation by virtue of
equipment failure, radiation leak, faulty protective
equipment etc.
• Occasional Pollution: This condition exist during
isolated experiment or test of nuclear substance.
 Uses of Radiation
• In Medicine: used for diagnosis, treatment and research
• In Communication: All modern communication systems
use forms of electromagnetic radiation. Variation in
intensity of the radiation represent changes in sound,
pictures or other information being transmitted.
• In Science: used to determine the age of material that
were once part of a living organism by measuring the
amount of radioactive carbon the contain in a process
called radiocarbon dating. Environmental scientists use
radioactive atoms to identify the pathways taken by
pollutants through the environment.
 Biological effects of radioactive pollution
• The amount of injury caused by a radioactive isotope
depends on its physical half-life, and on how quickly it is
absorbed and then excreted by an organism.

• Radioactivity is toxic because it forms ions when it reacts

with biological molecules. These ions can form free
radicals, which damage proteins, membranes, and nucleic
acids. Radioactivity can damage DNA (deoxyribonucleic
acid) by destroying individual bases (particularly thymine),
by breaking single strands, by breaking double strands, by
cross-linking different DNA strands, and by cross-linking
DNA and proteins. Damage to DNA can lead to
cancers, birth defects, and even death.
 Conclusion
• Radioactive pollution is an important
environmental problem. It could become
much worse if extreme vigilance is not utilized
in the handling and use of radioactive
materials, and in the design and operation of
nuclear power plants.