product from radium, but it is also found in the intermediate step of radioactive decay
of many short lived radioactive materials (Nazaroff 1992). Radon exposure occurs to
humans directly from their homes only if it is built in granitic ground, and it is the
second cause of lung cancer after smoking (Pacheco-Torgal 2012). On the other
hand, technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials
(TENORM) involve specifically the natural radioactive materials whose physical,
chemical and radiological properties have increased in concentration due to
man-made activities and as a result are now more exposed to its radioactive exposure
(Abdel Rahman et al. 2013).
13.1.7 Radioactive Wastes or Radioactivity Due to Accidents
Radioactive wastes can arise from nuclear accidents and that is more detrimental
compared to other source of wastes. The radioactive wastes that arise from accidents
are uncontrolled mass of emission or discharge directly into environment. Some of
the notable radioactive material exposures through accidents will be discussed here.
Los Alamos criticality accident 1946 which took lives of two persons was due to the
anomaly in plutonium assembly (McLaughlin et al. 2000). 1961 Nuclear meltdown
at Idaho National laboratory, USA took the lives of three persons due to the
malfunction and overheating of the nuclear reactor. Stationary Low Power Reactor
(SL 1), an experimental prototype meant for nuclear power generation, was the one
that got flawed in Idaho incident (Peplow 2014). Another incident happened the
same year in USSR known as 1961 atom accident on submarine. One of the two
nuclear reactors powering the K-19 submarine of soviet era got damaged and in a
radiation exposure took the life of nine crew members within 2 days after their rescue
from the damaged submarine (Erlanger 1992). In 1984, in Casablanca, Morocco, an
iridium-192 radiography source was lost from an industry and was taken home by a
labourer, and in the subsequent week, the whole family was exposed to its radiation
and which took the lives of eight of the family members (Nenot 2009). In 1986, in
Prypyat, Ukraine, 15 km from proper populated area of Chernobyl, in the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, four RBMK-1000 reactors were used with the intention of
producing 1 MW electrical power generation. The RBMK-1000 reactors were
graphite moderated water cooled reactors with a lacking of western style containment vessel. On 26 April, the workers bypassed the safety systems to perform a test
which resulted in steam explosion. The steam explosion damaged the upper cover of
the reactor, releasing almost all its core water. In a subsequent event, due to the
reaction between steam and graphite or zirconium, a possible second hydrogen
explosion followed. The explosion immediately took the lives of three persons
with 26 others including firefighters who died in the following days due to acute
radiation. Another 238 persons survived with acute radiation sickness (Mould 2000).
In 1987, In Goinia, Brazil, two individuals from a left out radiotherapy unit of a
clinic took two sealed containers home and broke the seal. The sealed containers
contained 1375 curies of cesium-137 chloride salt which ultimately got exposed.
334
U. K. Vandana et al.
of many short lived radioactive materials (Nazaroff 1992). Radon exposure occurs to
humans directly from their homes only if it is built in granitic ground, and it is the
second cause of lung cancer after smoking (Pacheco-Torgal 2012). On the other
hand, technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials
(TENORM) involve specifically the natural radioactive materials whose physical,
chemical and radiological properties have increased in concentration due to
man-made activities and as a result are now more exposed to its radioactive exposure
(Abdel Rahman et al. 2013).
13.1.7 Radioactive Wastes or Radioactivity Due to Accidents
Radioactive wastes can arise from nuclear accidents and that is more detrimental
compared to other source of wastes. The radioactive wastes that arise from accidents
are uncontrolled mass of emission or discharge directly into environment. Some of
the notable radioactive material exposures through accidents will be discussed here.
Los Alamos criticality accident 1946 which took lives of two persons was due to the
anomaly in plutonium assembly (McLaughlin et al. 2000). 1961 Nuclear meltdown
at Idaho National laboratory, USA took the lives of three persons due to the
malfunction and overheating of the nuclear reactor. Stationary Low Power Reactor
(SL 1), an experimental prototype meant for nuclear power generation, was the one
that got flawed in Idaho incident (Peplow 2014). Another incident happened the
same year in USSR known as 1961 atom accident on submarine. One of the two
nuclear reactors powering the K-19 submarine of soviet era got damaged and in a
radiation exposure took the life of nine crew members within 2 days after their rescue
from the damaged submarine (Erlanger 1992). In 1984, in Casablanca, Morocco, an
iridium-192 radiography source was lost from an industry and was taken home by a
labourer, and in the subsequent week, the whole family was exposed to its radiation
and which took the lives of eight of the family members (Nenot 2009). In 1986, in
Prypyat, Ukraine, 15 km from proper populated area of Chernobyl, in the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, four RBMK-1000 reactors were used with the intention of
producing 1 MW electrical power generation. The RBMK-1000 reactors were
graphite moderated water cooled reactors with a lacking of western style containment vessel. On 26 April, the workers bypassed the safety systems to perform a test
which resulted in steam explosion. The steam explosion damaged the upper cover of
the reactor, releasing almost all its core water. In a subsequent event, due to the
reaction between steam and graphite or zirconium, a possible second hydrogen
explosion followed. The explosion immediately took the lives of three persons
with 26 others including firefighters who died in the following days due to acute
radiation. Another 238 persons survived with acute radiation sickness (Mould 2000).
In 1987, In Goinia, Brazil, two individuals from a left out radiotherapy unit of a
clinic took two sealed containers home and broke the seal. The sealed containers
contained 1375 curies of cesium-137 chloride salt which ultimately got exposed.
334
U. K. Vandana et al.