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    Types of Nuclear Accidents

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    CHARUCHOUHAN
    There are several types of nuclear accidents that can occur, ranging from easy to handle incidents to catastrophic events. Catastrophic accidents include those with immediate impact like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Terrorist attacks using radioactive dispersal devices or "dirty bombs" are also a concern. These involve using conventional explosives to spread radioactive debris over a targeted area. While dirty bombs are not weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs, they can cause panic and disrupt civil life. Theft of nuclear materials could enable crude radiological bombs. A nuclear disaster would depend on many factors but could directly impact over 65 square km and cause over 3 million casualties in the initial months from blast effects and radiation exposure. Fallout zones could also affect hundreds of

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    Types of Nuclear Accidents

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    CHARUCHOUHAN
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    There are several types of nuclear accidents that can occur, ranging from easy to handle incidents to catastrophic events. Catastrophic accidents include those with immediate impact like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Terrorist attacks using radioactive dispersal devices or "dirty bombs" are also a concern. These involve using conventional explosives to spread radioactive debris over a targeted area. While dirty bombs are not weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs, they can cause panic and disrupt civil life. Theft of nuclear materials could enable crude radiological bombs. A nuclear disaster would depend on many factors but could directly impact over 65 square km and cause over 3 million casualties in the initial months from blast effects and radiation exposure. Fallout zones could also affect hundreds of

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    There are several types of nuclear accidents that can occur, ranging from easy to handle incidents to catastrophic events. Catastrophic accidents include those with immediate impact like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Terrorist attacks using radioactive dispersal devices or "dirty bombs" are also a concern. These involve using conventional explosives to spread radioactive debris over a targeted area. While dirty bombs are not weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs, they can cause panic and disrupt civil life. Theft of nuclear materials could enable crude radiological bombs. A nuclear disaster would depend on many factors but could directly impact over 65 square km and cause over 3 million casualties in the initial months from blast effects and radiation exposure. Fallout zones could also affect hundreds of

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    34 views2 pages

    Types of Nuclear Accidents

    Uploaded by

    CHARUCHOUHAN
    There are several types of nuclear accidents that can occur, ranging from easy to handle incidents to catastrophic events. Catastrophic accidents include those with immediate impact like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Terrorist attacks using radioactive dispersal devices or "dirty bombs" are also a concern. These involve using conventional explosives to spread radioactive debris over a targeted area. While dirty bombs are not weapons of mass destruction like nuclear bombs, they can cause panic and disrupt civil life. Theft of nuclear materials could enable crude radiological bombs. A nuclear disaster would depend on many factors but could directly impact over 65 square km and cause over 3 million casualties in the initial months from blast effects and radiation exposure. Fallout zones could also affect hundreds of

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
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    Types of Nuclear Accidents

    Easy to handle: Accidents which are easy to handle and immediately recognized
    Difficult to handle: Accidents with delayed recognition and difficult to handle
    Catastrophic: Catastrophic Accidents with immediate recognition like accident at Unit 4 of Chernobyl nuclear
    power station on April 26, 1986;
    Terrorist Attacks or Dirty Bombs:
    Through use of 'Radiological Dispersion Device' (RDD), an expedient weapon, wherein radioactive material is
    disseminated by using conventional explosives and debris is subsequently scattered across the targeted area.
    Also through other modes like attack of the nuclear power plant or facility using or processing radioactive
    material via air craft strike or bombardment with heavy munitions or sabotage. This kind of attack would be
    similar to radiological bomb and could cause far greater casualties.
    Theft of nuclear material can enable the creation of crude bombs commonly known as 'dirty bombs' which can be
    fused by anti-social elements or terrorists. A dirty bomb is a radioactive dispersal device (RDD). The radioactive
    material is dispersed in conjunction with conventional explosives. The explosion of a bomb in a thickly populated
    area, may lead to number of causalities on account of the explosive material itself. The people in the surrounding
    area will also get a dose of radiation (both external dose and internal dose). As a consequence of this, a limited
    area may also get contaminated. Unlike a nuclear bomb, a dirty bomb is not a weapon of mass destruction.
    However, it may lead to disruption of normal civil life because the mere possibility of imminent exposure to
    radiation causes a sense of panic among people.
    Nuclear/Radio active materials /Agents
    The radionuclides, which could be used, are isotopes
    of Cesium, Cobalt, Iridium, Iodine, Strontium, Uranium, Plutonium etc.
    Radiological/Nuclear disaster scenario
    The catastrophic scenario that can emerge after nuclear bombing can be tentatively worked out looking into
    what has happened in the past instances as described in the previous paragraphs and other literature. The
    estimates in the prediction of results of the atomic weapon effects bear an uncertainty of about 30%. Also
    offensive and defensive calculations are done through different sets. However, the later is preferred for working
    out preparedness/combating strategies. When the yield is in the low KT ranges, the cloud remains in the lower
    atmosphere and. its effects will be entirely restricted local area. But when the yield exceeds 30 KT, part of the
    cloud will punch into the stratosphere, which begins about 7 miles up. Accordingly, for inflicting grave maximum
    effects 20 KT weapons are considered to be the preferable devices.
    The degree of damage shall depend upon the protection available at the time of detonation of damage. The
    above table gives a schematic picture with reference to unprotected objects and individuals. The blast winds, the
    last effect to follow may extinguish fire. Though there are several uncertainties and possible combination of the
    damages, the preparedness has to take the maximum possible damage in consideration.
    Another phase of detrimental effect that will follow is due to fallout. The radioactivity deposition on the ground
    and its effect on human beings will depend upon several factors, like out put, height of burst, environment
    conditions including wind velocity and scavenging of the cloud by rains, etc as a conservative estimate shows
    that due to the immediate and direct effect 20 KT nuclear weapon detonation would affect:
    About 65 square km of area
    About 32 lakh inhabitants (population density 0.5 lakh /km2
    About 3.2 lakh deaths in the first few months (- 50 % on 151 day)
    About 7.5 lakh will be injured affected due to INR
    Fallout zone approximately 4,000 km2 may change on wind direction and velocity. In case of Chernobyl it was
    more than 200,000 km2
    About 40 lakh will be affected due to fall out
    The fallout may persist for years and would need special consideration.

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