Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026
09:18
Laser-heating and Radiance Spectrometry for the Study of Nuclear Materials in Conditions Simulating a Nuclear Power Plant Accident
Published on: December 14, 2017
Radionuclides released to the environment following nuclear events
1Isotope Laboratory, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway. brit.salbu@umb.no
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
|May 25, 2011
Summary
The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster released radioactive particles globally. This review summarizes current understanding of their environmental fate and associated risks.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Nuclear Chemistry
- Ecotoxicology
Background:
- The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident in March 2011, caused by an earthquake and tsunami, released radioactive particles.
- These particles have been detected worldwide in various environmental media, both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic).
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize current knowledge on the environmental fate of radioactive particles from the Fukushima accident.
- To assess the risks posed by these radioactive materials in the environment.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on Fukushima-derived radioactive particles.
- Analysis of data on particle characteristics (composition, size, shape, structure, color).
- Assessment of environmental distribution and impact.
Main Results:
- Radioactive particles exhibit diverse characteristics.
- Global distribution of these particles in various environmental compartments has been confirmed.
- Understanding of their environmental behavior and potential risks is evolving.
Conclusions:
- Continued monitoring and research are essential to fully comprehend the long-term environmental fate and risks of Fukushima-derived radioactive particles.
- The diverse nature of these particles necessitates varied approaches for risk assessment and management.
Related Concept Videos
03:23Types of Radioactivity
The most common types of radioactivity are α decay, β decay, γ decay, neutron emission, and electron capture.
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
Alpha (α) decay is the emission of an α particle from the nucleus. For example, polonium-210 undergoes α decay:
03:18Radioactivity and Nuclear Equations
Nuclear chemistry is the study of reactions that involve changes in nuclear structure. The nucleus of an atom is composed of protons and, except for hydrogen, neutrons. The number of protons in the nucleus is called the atomic number (Z) of the element, and the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons is the mass number (A). Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are isotopes of the same element.
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
A nuclide of an element has a specific number of protons and...
02:59Biological Effects of Radiation
All radioactive nuclides emit high-energy particles or electromagnetic waves. When this radiation encounters living cells, it can cause heating, break chemical bonds, or ionize molecules. The most serious biological damage results when these radioactive emissions fragment or ionize molecules. For example, α and β particles emitted from nuclear decay reactions possess much higher energies than ordinary chemical bond energies. When these particles strike and penetrate matter, they produce ions...
03:20Nuclear Transmutation
Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one nuclide into another. It can occur by the radioactive decay of a nucleus, or the reaction of a nucleus with another particle. The first manmade nucleus was produced in Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory in 1919 by a transmutation reaction, the bombardment of one type of nuclei with other nuclei or with neutrons. Rutherford bombarded nitrogen-14 atoms with high-speed α particles from a natural radioactive isotope of radium and observed protons being...
02:36Nuclear Power
Controlled nuclear fission reactions are used to generate electricity. Any nuclear reactor that produces power via the fission of uranium or plutonium by bombardment with neutrons has six components: nuclear fuel consisting of fissionable material, a nuclear moderator, a neutron source, control rods, reactor coolant, and a shield and containment system.
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
03:18Nuclear Stability
Protons and neutrons, collectively called nucleons, are packed together tightly in a nucleus. With a radius of about 10−15 meters, a nucleus is quite small compared to the radius of the entire atom, which is about 10−10 meters. Nuclei are extremely dense compared to bulk matter, averaging 1.8 × 1014 grams per cubic centimeter. If the earth’s density were equal to the average nuclear density, the earth’s radius would be only about 200 meters.
To hold positively charged protons together in the...
To hold positively charged protons together in the...