Industrial and Medical Nuclear Accidents

The peaceful use of atomic energy has given rise to a variety of nuclear accidents from the start. This concerns all forms of use, industrial and medical. For each accident, Industrial and Medical Nuclear Accidents details the contamination of the environment, flora and fauna, and quantifies the effects of ionizing radiation. The book also examines the adverse effects on the health, both physical and mental, of the human populations concerned. The monetary cost is also evaluated. The research presented in this book is based on scientifically recognized publications and on the reports of national and international organizations competent in this field (IAEA, WHO, UNSCEAR, IRSN, etc.). The book contains chapters devoted to the most recent accidents (Chernobyl and Fukushima), with a large body of institutional and academic literature.

Autorentext

Jean-Claude Amiard is a Doctor of Radioecology, Emeritus Research Director at the CNRS and former Associate Professor in Quebec and China. He is the author of more than 200 publications, 70 books or book chapters and 150 presentations in international conferences.

Inhalt

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

List of Acronyms. xvii

Chapter 1. Classification of Civil, Industrial and Medical Nuclear Accidents 1

1.1. Nuclear accident or radiological accident? 2

1.2. Classification of nuclear accidents. Incident or accident? 3

1.2.1. Application of the INES in France 5

1.2.2. Application of the INES at the international level 6

1.2.3. Other classifications of nuclear accidents 6

1.2.4. The NAMS classification 6

1.3. Classification of radiological accidents 7

1.4. The typology of accidents 9

1.4.1. Criticality accidents 10

1.4.2. Accidents in nuclear power reactors 11

1.4.3. Losses of radioactive sources 11

1.4.4. Radiotherapy accidents 12

1.4.5. Terrorist attacks 12

1.5. What are the main nuclear accidents? 12

1.6. Information on nuclear energy. 17

Chapter 2. Accidents Related to Nuclear Power Production 19

2.1. Introduction 19

2.2. Accidents in the nuclear fuel cycle 19

2.2.1. Uranium mines 20

2.2.2. Milling, conversion, enrichment and fuel manufacturing plants 22

2.2.3. Nuclear reactors 22

2.2.4. Spent fuel reprocessing plants 29

2.3. Accidents in laboratories 33

2.3.1. Chalk River laboratories 33

2.3.2. French study centers 34

2.4. Other accidents 35

2.4.1. Accidents in civil engineering 35

2.4.2. Accidents in nuclear propulsion 36

2.5. Waste management incidents 36

2.6. Incidents in the transport of radioactive packages 37

2.7. Environmental consequences 38

2.7.1. Uranium mines 38

2.7.2. Tokai-Mura 39

2.7.3. Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux 39

2.7.4. Three Mile Island 40

2.7.5. Church Rock 41

2.7.6. La Hague 41

2.7.7. Chalk River 41

2.7.8. Simi Valley 42

2.8. Health consequences 42

2.8.1. Uranium miners 42

2.8.2. Workers in the nuclear industry 44

2.8.3. Simi Valley 47

2.8.4. Tokai-Mura 48

2.8.5. Lucens 49

2.8.6. Three Mile Island 49

2.8.7. Church Rock 50

2.8.8. La Hague 50

2.8.9. Chalk River 51

2.8.10. Ruthenium 106 releases in Russia in September 2017 51

2.9. The cost of accidents 52

2.11. Conclusions 54

Chapter 3. The Extremely Serious Nuclear Accident at Chernobyl 57

3.1. Introduction 57

3.2. The facts 58

3.2.1. The Chernobyl site and the nuclear power plant 58

3.2.2. The accident 58

3.2.3. The core and the sarcophage 59

3.2.4. Atmospheric emissions 59

3.2.5. The dispersion of radionuclides 60

3.2.6. Radioactive fallout 61

3.2.7. Accident management 64

3.2.8. Countermeasures carried out at Chernobyl 67

3.3. Spatial and environmental consequences 68

3.3.1. Atmospheric contamination 68

3.3.2. Soil contamination 69

3.3.3. Surface water contamination 69

3.3.4. Groundwater contamination 70

3.3.5. Forest contamination 71

3.3.6. Contamination of the aquatic environment 74

3.3.7. Contamination of the marine environment 76

3.4. Ecological consequences of the Chernobyl accident 76

3.4.1. The three phases 76

3.4.2. Effects at molecular level 78

3.4.3. Genetic effects 80

3.4.4. Morphological and physiological effects on individuals 86

3.4.5. Effects on individual reproduction (sex, sex-ratio, fertility) 88

3.4.6. Effects on populations (age, abundance, longevity) 89

3.4.7. Effects on ecosystem structure and functioning 92

3.4.8. Partial conclusion 93

3.5. Health consequences 94

3.5.1. Implications for large organisms 94

3.5.2. The main contributions to exposure 97 ...