Most Deadly Nuclear Accidents of All Time
Summary
TLDRThis script delves into the often-overlooked history of nuclear disasters, highlighting incidents beyond Chernobyl. It recounts the Chalk River Laboratories' accidents in the 1950s, the Kyshtym disaster, and the Windscale fire in Britain. The narrative also covers the K-19 submarine crisis, Three Mile Island's near-meltdown, and the devastating Chornobyl explosion. The script concludes with the Fukushima Daiichi disaster, emphasizing the ongoing challenges and risks associated with nuclear energy.
Takeaways
- đ The Chalk River Laboratories in Canada experienced two nuclear accidents in the 1950s, with radioactive waste leaking into the Ottawa River and causing environmental and health issues.
- đ The Kyshtym disaster in the Soviet Union released radioactive particles across 300 square miles, leading to a cover-up by the Soviet government and long-term health effects on the population.
- đŹđ§ The Windscale nuclear reactor in Great Britain caught fire in 1957, releasing radioactive contaminants and causing an estimated 250 cases of cancer.
- đłïž The Soviet submarine K-19 had a near-disastrous accident in 1961, where the crew's heroic efforts to prevent a meltdown resulted in many of them receiving lethal doses of radiation.
- đșđž The Three Mile Island accident in 1979 was a significant event that shook public confidence in nuclear energy, with radioactive steam released and potential long-term health effects on nearby populations.
- đ The Goiania accident in Brazil involved the improper disposal of a teletherapy unit, leading to hundreds exposed to radiation and highlighting the dangers of negligence in handling radioactive materials.
- đą The Chornobyl disaster in 1986 is considered the worst nuclear accident, with a massive release of radiation affecting large areas and causing both immediate and long-term health consequences.
- đȘïž The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown in 2011 was triggered by a tsunami and earthquake, resulting in radioactive waste leakage and worker fatalities.
- đŹ Nuclear accidents have occurred due to various reasons, including faulty parts, human error, and natural disasters, emphasizing the need for stringent safety measures.
- đ Despite the reduction in nuclear accidents as technology has advanced, the global presence of around 440 nuclear reactors means that safety remains a critical concern.
- â»ïž The handling and disposal of nuclear waste are significant issues, with accidents often resulting from improper management and highlighting the need for better protocols.
Q & A
What is considered one of the first nuclear accidents that occurred?
-An accident at Chalk River Laboratories in the 1950s is considered one of the first nuclear accidents. It happened at a state-of-the-art facility in Canada where scientists were developing future nuclear technology.
What was the consequence of the Chalk River Laboratories accident on December 12, 1952?
-The accident resulted in a runaway fission reaction and a core meltdown. Hydrogen explosions occurred, and 1.2 million gallons of radioactive waste were dumped into the basement of the facility, some of which leaked into the Ottawa River system.
Who was involved in the cleanup of the Chalk River nuclear accident, and what is significant about his future role?
-Future president Jimmy Carter was stationed as a Naval officer and helped with the cleanup, highlighting the widespread impact and involvement in addressing the disaster.
What were the circumstances that led to the second nuclear accident at Chalk River Laboratories in 1958?
-The second accident occurred at the National Research Universal reactor, which was housed in a separate building. Similar to the first incident, fuel rods overheated, leading to a meltdown and the release of radioactive steam into the air.
What was the Kyshtym disaster, and how did it differ from the Chalk River disaster?
-The Kyshtym disaster occurred in the Soviet Union in 1957 at the Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant. Unlike the Chalk River disaster, the reactor exploded, sending radioactive particles across a wide area, contaminating entire towns and spreading over 300 square miles.
How did the Soviet government initially handle the aftermath of the Kyshtym disaster?
-The Soviet government delayed declaring a state of emergency and evacuating residents for a week. They also attempted to cover up the incident by creating the East-Ural Nature Reserve to restrict access to the contaminated area.
What was the Windscale disaster, and what caused it?
-The Windscale disaster occurred in Great Britain in 1957 at Britain's first nuclear reactor. A fire within the uranium-filled graphite core had been burning for days, releasing radioactive contaminants into the air before it was detected and eventually extinguished.
What measures were taken to mitigate the effects of the Windscale disaster?
-Milk and dairy products were removed from store shelves for a month due to contamination concerns. However, it is estimated that the disaster still caused around 250 cases of cancer.
Can you describe the K-19 nuclear submarine accident and its immediate aftermath?
-The K-19 submarine experienced an overheating nuclear engine due to a malfunction in the coolant system in 1961. Crew members worked to fix the reactor while exposed to lethal doses of radiation. The submarine was towed back to the Soviet Union, but many crew members became seriously ill and died as a result of their exposure.
What was the Three Mile Island accident, and what were its implications for nuclear energy in the United States?
-The Three Mile Island accident in 1979 was one of the worst nuclear power plant accidents in the world. A pressure valve failure led to a partial meltdown, causing the release of radioactive steam. The incident eroded public confidence in nuclear energy and led to increased scrutiny of its safety.
What was the cause of the nuclear contamination event in Goiania, Brazil, in 1987?
-The Goiania contamination event was caused by negligence in disposing of radioactive medical equipment. Scavengers removed a teletherapy unit containing radioactive cesium chloride, unknowingly exposing hundreds of people to radiation.
Describe the Chornobyl disaster and its immediate response.
-The Chornobyl disaster occurred in 1986 when a sudden power surge during a safety test led to an explosion and fire at the nuclear power plant. The Soviet government initially blocked off the nearby town without informing anyone of the radiation risks. Over the next several days, 800,000 workers were brought in to help with the cleanup, which included constructing a concrete structure around the reactor core.
What is the current state of nuclear reactors worldwide, and have recent technological advancements led to a decrease in nuclear accidents?
-There are around 440 nuclear reactors in the world today, and technological advancements have contributed to a decrease in nuclear accidents. The last major meltdown was at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan, caused by a tsunami and earthquake.
Outlines
đ Early Nuclear Accidents and Their Impacts
The script discusses lesser-known nuclear disasters, emphasizing that Chernobyl was neither the first nor the last. It highlights the Chalk River Laboratories' accidents in the 1950s, which resulted in radioactive waste being dumped into the Ottawa River and affected numerous people. The narrative also touches on the Kyshtym disaster in the Soviet Union, where a reactor explosion led to widespread contamination and a government cover-up. Additionally, the Windscale fire in Great Britain and the K-19 submarine incident are mentioned, illustrating the risks associated with nuclear energy and the potential for catastrophe.
đ Cover-ups and the Consequences of Nuclear Disasters
This section delves into the secrecy surrounding nuclear accidents, particularly the Kyshtym disaster, where the Soviet government concealed the incident by creating a nature reserve to restrict access to the contaminated area. The Windscale fire in Britain is also discussed, revealing that the accident was kept from the public for decades, likely to avoid hindering the nuclear weapons program. The narrative moves on to the K-19 submarine accident, detailing the crew's heroic efforts to prevent a meltdown and the subsequent radiation exposure that affected many, including those involved in the rescue and repair operations.
đĄ The Expanding Legacy of Nuclear Mishaps
The script continues with the story of the K-19 submarine, which not only put its crew at risk but also contaminated the rescue submarine and personnel at the naval base due to ongoing radiation leaks. It then describes the Three Mile Island accident in the United States, one of the worst nuclear power plant disasters, which led to a loss of public confidence in nuclear energy. The incident in Goiania, Brazil, is also highlighted, where negligence in disposing of radioactive medical equipment led to widespread exposure and health issues. The paragraph culminates in the description of the Chornobyl disaster, marking it as the worst nuclear accident with a significant death toll and long-term environmental damage.
đȘ The Chornobyl Catastrophe and Its Aftermath
The final paragraph focuses on the Chornobyl disaster, detailing the events leading up to the explosion, the immediate aftermath, and the extensive cleanup efforts. It describes the initial mishandling of the situation by the Soviet government, the massive evacuation, and the international detection of radiation. The paragraph also discusses the long-term effects of the disaster, including the deaths of workers, the contamination of land, and the broader implications for nuclear safety and public perception.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄNuclear Disaster
đĄRadioactive Waste
đĄReactor Core
đĄMeltdown
đĄControl Rods
đĄNuclear Energy
đĄChernobyl
đĄKyshtym Disaster
đĄWindscale
đĄThree Mile Island
đĄFukushima Daiichi
Highlights
Chernobyl is not the first or last nuclear disaster, with several tragedies being overlooked or intentionally omitted from history books.
Chalk River Laboratories in Canada experienced one of the first nuclear accidents in the 1950s due to a power flow issue leading to a meltdown.
The Chalk River accident resulted in 1.2 million gallons of radioactive waste being dumped, with some leaking into the Ottawa River.
Future U.S. President Jimmy Carter was involved in the cleanup of the Chalk River accident while stationed as a Naval officer.
Chalk River Laboratories faced another accident in 1958 with a similar overheating issue and radiation leaks.
The Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant in Russia had a major disaster in 1957, releasing radioactive particles across a wide area.
The Soviet government's delayed response to the Mayak disaster led to the exposure and suffering of thousands of people.
The Kyshtym disaster was covered up by the Soviet Union, only coming to light two decades later.
Britain's Windscale nuclear reactor had a mishap in 1957, causing a fire and the release of radioactive contaminants.
The Windscale disaster led to an estimated 250 cases of cancer, with the true impact likely being much higher.
The K-19 Soviet submarine nearly sunk in 1961 due to a coolant system malfunction and reactor overheating.
Crew members of K-19 knowingly exposed themselves to lethal doses of radiation to prevent a catastrophic explosion.
The Three Mile Island accident in 1979 was a significant event that shook public confidence in nuclear energy.
A faulty pressure valve led to the partial meltdown at Three Mile Island, with radioactive steam being released.
The Goiania accident in 1987 was caused by improper disposal of a teletherapy unit containing radioactive material.
The Chornobyl disaster in 1986 is considered the worst nuclear accident, with a power surge leading to a massive explosion and widespread radiation.
Chornobyl's official death toll is 31, but the long-term effects and true number of casualties are likely much higher.
The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown in 2011 was caused by a tsunami and earthquake, leaking radioactive waste.
Transcripts
When you think of nuclear disasters, the first thing that probably comes to mind Â
is Chernobyl. However, this was not the first nuclear disaster, nor was it the Â
last. It seems that several nuclear tragedies have been either overlooked or intentionally Â
left out of history books for various reasons. Nuclear power can be a great source of energy, Â
but it can also lead to catastrophe. You are about to find out about the most deadly nuclear Â
accidents of all time, and the crazy part is you probably havenât heard of most of them.
Many consider an accident at Chalk River Laboratories in the 1950s to be one of the Â
first nuclear accidents that ever occurred. Chalk River Laboratories is located just over 100 miles Â
northwest of Ottawa, Canada. In the 1950s, it was a state-of-the-art facility where scientists, Â
engineers, and researchers worked on developing future nuclear technology. But Â
with new technology comes risk, and when dealing with nuclear energy, these risks can be huge.
On December 12, 1952, the National Research Experimental reactor at Â
Chalk River encountered a power flow issue that resulted in a runaway Â
fission reaction. The temperature in the coolant tank began to rise slowly at first, Â
but as researchers tried to get it under control, things went from bad to worse. Â
Sirens started to blare as the temperatures in the reactor core rose to dangerous levels.
The engineers tried to lower the control rods into the coolant tank, but they jammed, Â
and the chain reactions continued. Suddenly three of the rods began to lift out of the Â
coolant tank unexpectedly. The engineers panicked as the rods continued to rise and Â
overheat. In the next instant, the core went into meltdown. Hydrogen explosions Â
rocked the building. The reactor seal blew off its hinges and dumped 1.2 Â
million gallons of radioactive waste into the basement of the Chalk River facility.
The scientists and researchers knew that the radioactive water was dangerous, but proper waste Â
disposal procedures had not yet been put in place. The engineers at Chalk River dug ditches only Â
5,000 feet away from the Ottawa River where they dumped the water from the reactor. Unsurprisingly, Â
some of the radioactive waste leached into the Ottawa River system and the surrounding Â
area. The radiation spread throughout the region and flowed towards the United States.
Interestingly, future president Jimmy Carter was stationed as a Naval officer in Schenectady, Â
New York at the time where he and 26 other men helped clean up the Chalk Â
River nuclear accident. Itâs unknown how many people were affected by this disaster, Â
but the insane part is that the facility reopened two years later Â
with very few modifications made to the its procedures and mechanisms. Therefore, Â
it wasnât surprising that in 1958, Chalk River Laboratories suffered another nuclear accident.
The National Research Universal reactor was housed in a separate building than the first reactor, Â
but a similar set of circumstances led to problems with this reactor as well. Â
The fuel rods began to overheat just like at the National Research Experimental reactor Â
from years before. The scientists realized they were headed towards a second meltdown Â
and used a robotic crane to lift one of the metallic uranium rods out of the reactor.
However, as the crane moved the rod away from the reactor, the uranium caught fire and fell Â
into the core below. The entire facility was doused with radiation, and the surrounding Â
area became contaminated once again. Even worse, the valves for the facilityâs ventilation system Â
were left wide open, resulting in large amounts of radioactive steam being released into the air.
The researchers and engineers scrambled to extinguish the fire before the rest of Â
the reactor rods went into meltdown. They dumped buckets of wet sand into Â
the hole in the reactor's containment vessel. The fire was eventually put out, Â
but large amounts of radiation had already leaked from the reactor core. Military Â
personnel had to be brought in to aid with the clean-up of all the radioactive waste.
Itâs hard to tell just how many people suffered due to the radiation leaks at Â
Chalk River Laboratories in the 1950s. The people who worked there and those who helped with the Â
clean-up were both exposed to unhealthy levels of radiation. No reports indicate that anyone Â
immediately died from radiation exposure, but as time went on, medical issues began to arise, Â
such as higher rates of cancer and other illnesses connected to radiation poisoning Â
in people who worked at or lived near the Chalk River nuclear research facility.
We may never know the extent to which the Chalk River Laboratories accidents Â
affected the people and environment. We will also probably never know if the radiation Â
leaked into the nearby river systems and ended up affecting people living downstream. Either way, Â
these two nuclear accidents were some of the first to occur but most certainly wouldnât be the last.
Between the two nuclear accidents at Chalk River in the 50s, a much worse Â
disaster occurred in the Soviet Union in 1957. After World War II, the Soviet Union Â
began constructing nuclear facilities like crazy. They needed to outdo the Americans, Â
or at least keep up with them if they were going to remain a dominant power in the world.
Nuclear facilities at this time were used to conduct research and develop weapons. The Â
Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant was located in the town of Ozyorsk in southwestern Russia. Â
On September 29th, the cooling system at the facility failed. The core began to overheat Â
as workers tried to get the chain reaction under control. Unfortunately, they failed.
The reactor exploded, sending a massive cloud of radioactive particles into the air. Unlike Â
the Chalk River disaster that was somewhat contained, these particles swept across Â
the Russian landscape, contaminating entire towns as wind currents carried them across Â
the country. The deadly particles spread over 300 square miles. The Soviet government waited Â
an entire week before declaring a state of emergency and evacuating the 10,000 residents Â
who had been in the path of the radioactive cloud, but at that point, it was too late.
The Mayak facility was highly classified, and the Soviet government did not want word to spread of Â
its existence. The evacuated citizens were given no clear reason as to why they were being moved or Â
that they should be concerned about radiation. The Soviet people were eventually resettled, Â
but as time went on, the population started to develop some mysterious ailments.
Peopleâs skin began to redden and die. Entire portions of their skin and muscles fell off the Â
bone as a result of high radiation exposure. It was now clear what had happened in the region Â
and what the Soviet government was trying to hide. In order to cover their tracks, Â
Soviet leaders created the East-Ural Nature Reserve, Â
which encompassed the contaminated area. This was done solely to prohibit access to the region.
It wasnât until two decades later that a Russian biologist named Zhores Medvedev blew Â
the whistle on his own government and exposed what had happened at the Mayak facility. Itâs Â
estimated that 200 people died from cancer as a direct result of radiation exposure Â
from the Mayak nuclear accident. However, itâs highly likely that thousands more were exposed Â
to dangerous levels of radiation and suffered from illnesses caused by the nuclear accident.
This incident has come to be known as the Kyshtym disaster because, until recently, Â
Ozyorsk did not appear on any official maps. The Soviet government did their best to suppress Â
any information about the facility or the disaster that occurred there. This is why Â
the nuclear accident was named after Kyshtym, the next closest town that appeared on maps.
The same year as the Kyshtym disaster in the Soviet Union, Great Britain had their own Â
nuclear mishap. On October 10, 1957, Britain's first nuclear reactor, known as Windscale, Â
was working to create more materials for their nuclear weapons program. The facility had been Â
running since the 1940s without any problems, but on this day, things went terribly wrong.
Workers at the facility were running routine maintenance on the reactor when they noticed Â
temperatures began to rise. The temperatures were still within reasonable levels, but they Â
didnât seem to be leveling off. The workers tried circulating fresh coolant to keep the temperatures Â
down, yet nothing seemed to work. It quickly became apparent that something was very wrong.
One of the scientists realized that the uranium-filled graphite core Â
within the reactor had caught fire. But this wasnât a new development; Â
the fire had been burning within the core for at least two days prior. Since the moment the Â
core had caught fire, it had been releasing radioactive contaminants into the air.
At this point, there was nothing that could be done about the radiation already spewed Â
into the atmosphere. The engineers at Windscale needed to keep the core from Â
completely melting down to stop any further contamination. They brought in cooling fans, Â
compressed carbon dioxide, and cold water to drop the core's temperature. After days of work, the Â
staff at Windscale smothered the fire and brought the core's temperature back to safe levels.
It was now October 12th, and a radioactive cloud was drifting across the United Kingdom Â
and into Europe. There was no way to evacuate the enormous area that was being covered by Â
radioactive particles. One set of precautions taken at the time was to pull all of the milk Â
and dairy products from the shelves of stores for a month. Even still, itâs estimated that Â
the Windscale disaster caused around 250 cases of cancer, but this is probably a lowball assessment.
Upon inspection of the Windscale disaster, it was found that the accident could have Â
been avoided. The fire that began in the core should never have happened, and the fact it was Â
allowed to burn for several days put the lives of countless people at risk. Like with the Kyshtym Â
incident in the Soviet Union, Windscale was hidden from the public for several decades. Â
This was likely because Britain didnât want its own nuclear weapons program hindered by Â
restrictions and red tape. At the time, nuclear war seemed almost inevitable, and to many, Â
the importance of developing nuclear weapons far outweighed the risks.
Not all nuclear accidents occurred on land, however. Deep in the North Â
Atlantic, a nuclear-powered submarine almost sunk as a result of a deadly accident.
K-19 was a Hotel-class Soviet submarine. This was the classification that NATO intelligence Â
gave nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. On July 4, Â
1961, K-19 was traveling in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic when its nuclear engine Â
began to overheat. There was a malfunction in the coolant system, and there was no backup. Â
So the subâs crew did the only thing they could:Â they figured out a way to fix the coolant leak.
The reactor started to become alarmingly hot. If the crew didnât find a way to redirect Â
coolant to the nuclear core, it would explode and release an enormous amount of radiation Â
throughout the submarine and into the ocean. Brave engineers and other crew members locked Â
themselves in the engine room and worked on fixing the reactor as radiation ripped Â
through their bodies. These men knew they would receive a lethal dose of radiation, Â
but that didnât matter. They would do whatever it took to save their crewmates.
Eventually, they were able to jerry-rig the coolant system to divert the necessary cold Â
water to the core and bring the temperature down. The submarine couldnât travel back to Â
the Soviet Union on its own, but at least the core wouldnât explode and destroy the Â
sub. A rescue mission was launched to bring K-19 back to port. Another sub towed K-19 Â
across the Atlantic and returned it to the shores of the Soviet Union.
When the crew disembarked K-19, the men working on fixing the core were found to Â
have been bombarded by radiation. In the coming months, many would become seriously Â
ill and die as a result of their heroic actions. Other members of the K-19 who were Â
not exposed to as much radiation survived for many more years. However, all of the Â
men aboard K-19 would eventually succumb to diseases associated with radiation exposure.
But this is not where this particular disaster ends. Although the submarine did not explode Â
and the crew members were able to live for a few years after the accident, other tragedies occurred Â
as a result of the K-19 accident. The sub that towed K-19 back to base also became contaminated Â
by the radiation. Many of the men aboard the rescue sub also became ill due to the radiation.
Even after K-19 was docked to be repaired, the nuclear core continued to release radiation. The Â
people on the naval base and the workers who fixed the sub all became contaminated. Although we will Â
never know how many people died as a direct result of the radiation leak aboard K-19, it would seem Â
anyone who came into contact with the sub received enough radiation to alter their health. Itâs Â
possible that dozens or even hundreds of people were affected by the nuclear accident aboard K-19.
In 1979 the United States would experience its own nuclear disaster. This would be one Â
of the worst accidents at a nuclear power plant in the world. Up until this point, Â
most nuclear accidents were a result of nuclear material being created for weapons Â
or to power vessels of war. However, the accident at Three Mile Island would cause Â
controversy around nuclear energy and the dangers that come with it. To this day, Â
the events at Three Mile Island have eroded the public's confidence in nuclear energy.
On March 28, 1979, a pressure valve at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant near Harrisburg, Â
Pennsylvania, failed to close. The nuclear plant was supposed to be state-of-the-art Â
and promised to bring the United States an efficient, affordable energy source. Â
When the pressure valve in one of the reactors failed, it caused cooling water contaminated Â
with radiation to flow through different parts of the facility. The workers in the control room Â
realized what was happening and desperately tried to redirect the contaminated water.
But in the chaos, the workers made a series of errors that made matters worse. The irradiated Â
water continued to spread. They diverted water all night, but by the following morning, the core had Â
reached over 4,000 degrees. If the temperature increased to 5,000 degrees, it would melt down, Â
leading to a catastrophic explosion that would send radioactive debris across the country.
The power plant was spewing radioactive steam into the air, but things could get much worse. Â
The owners of the powerplant downplayed the critical nature of the situation. First, Â
they claimed that the meltdown was under control when it was not, Â
and then they said no radiation was leaking out of the power plant. However, Â
within days radiation was detected in four different counties around Three Mile Island. Â
The governor of Pennsylvania immediately issued an order for pregnant women and small children to Â
be evacuated from the area since they would be the most vulnerable to the radiation.
As this was happening, the cooling system at the nuclear power plant was still not working Â
properly. People fled their homes and headed to safety. On March 31, the emergency teams finally Â
got the valves back online and were able to cool the core before it exploded. No direct deaths Â
or injuries were recorded during this time at Three Mile Island, but the fact that radioactive Â
particles were released into the atmosphere and dispersed across the state cannot be overlooked.
Some studies suggest that there might be a correlation between increased cancer and Â
infant mortality rates in the region and the release of radiation from the nuclear Â
power plant. If this is true, then the Three Mile Island incident not Â
only caused the American people to become wary of nuclear energy but also may have led to the Â
early deaths of many citizens, making it the deadliest nuclear accident on American soil.
Faulty parts caused some nuclear accidents; others were caused by carelessness. This was Â
the case with a nuclear contamination event in Goiania, Brazil, in 1987.
A radiotherapy institution within the city decided to relocate and leave some of their Â
old equipment behind. However, they did not follow the proper waste disposal protocols Â
when disposing of the equipment, especially those containing radioactive material. On Â
September 13, two scavengers entered the abandoned building and removed one of the Â
teletherapy units that still contained highly radioactive cesium chloride.
The two men carried the radioactive unit to a junkyard in a wheelbarrow, Â
where they sold it to the junkyard owner. The problem was that the teletherapy device Â
was spewing radiation the entire trip from the abandoned building to the junkyard. When the Â
junkyard owner saw that his newly acquired device contained glowing blue material, Â
he invited friends and family over to see it. The scavengers, junkyard owner, and everyone who Â
came in contact with the device had no idea they were being exposed to high amounts of radiation.
After the incident, hundreds of people began to show signs of radiation sickness. Â
This nuclear accident wasnât due to a core meltdown or nuclear weapons but leftover Â
medical equipment. Itâs estimated that 245 people were exposed to the radiation. This Â
led to high rates of cancer in Goiania at the time, something that could have been Â
prevented by just eliminating the negligence around disposing of radioactive materials.
This brings us to the worst nuclear disaster that has ever occurred. It was 1:00 AM on April 25, Â
1986, at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant when operators began reducing Â
power on reactor number 4 for routine maintenance and a safety test. The Â
safety test was being conducted to identify if the still spinning turbines could create Â
enough power to keep the coolant pumps running if the plant was to lose power
At 2:00 PM on April 25, reactor number 4âs cooling system was shut down so that it didnât Â
interfere with the test. Everything seemed to be going according to plan. There was a Â
change in personnel around 11:00 PM when the night shift took over the test. They Â
were less experienced and never received proper instructions on how to carry out the test safely.
April 26, 1:23 AM, the test officially began. As soon as it started, a sudden power surge Â
occurred. An operator pressed the emergency shutdown button, but the control rods jammed Â
as they entered the core and exploded. The blast caused the 1,000-ton roof to be blown off of the Â
nuclear power plant. A fireball erupted into the sky. Radiation spewed out of the core, Â
and irradiated particles filled the sky. Fires broke out across the Chornobyl power Â
station as workers tried desperately to get the nuclear reactor to stabilize.
In order to get control of the situation, the Soviet government blockaded the nearby town Â
without informing the police or anyone involved of the potential risks of radiation poisoning. By Â
6:35 AM, all fires were extinguished, and the rest of the reactors were shut down, Â
but radiation continued to pour out of reactor 4. The firefighters and workers Â
believed that the radiation was under control, but they were misinformed. When Â
it became clear that the nuclear reactor was still expelling massive amounts of Â
radiation, the government ordered the evacuation of the surrounding areas.
On April 28, Sweedish air monitors detected large amounts of radiation coming from the Â
Soviet Union. The USSR informs the world that there has been a nuclear accident at Â
Chornobyl. Over the next several days, 800,000 workers were brought in to help Â
with the cleanup. They pumped liquid nitrogen underneath the power plant to Â
try and cool the core. Mounds of sand were dumped into the reactor from helicopters.
It wasnât until May 6 that radioactive emissions began to decline as the fire in the core burned Â
itself out. The emergency workers began constructing a concrete structure around Â
the core to contain the radioactive fallout. Official records claim that only 31 people Â
died as a result of the Chornobyl accident, but the number is likely much higher due to Â
the number of workers involved and the amount of radiation they were exposed to. Many people Â
likely died years later from cancers caused by the radiation from the Chornobyl explosion, Â
while countless acres of land became uninhabitable due to radioactivity.
As technology advanced and we created safer reactors, nuclear accidents have decreased. Â
There are around 440 nuclear reactors in the world today. The last one to melt down was the Fukushima Â
Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ćkuma, Fukushima, Japan. This disaster was the result of a tsunami Â
and earthquake that decimated the northeastern part of the country. The meltdown resulted in the Â
deaths of two workers but leaked radioactive waste into water supplies and the surrounding area.
Now watch âWhat If North Korea Launched a Nuclear Â
Bomb (Minute by Minute).â Or check out âWhat Happens To Nuclear Waste?â
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
Fukushima: o dia em que o JapĂŁo sofreu um triplo desastre | 21 notĂcias que marcaram o sĂ©culo 21
Understanding the accident of Fukushima Daiichi
Atomkraft erklÀrt: Wie funktioniert sie? (1/3)
Nuclear Energy Explained: How does it work? 1/3
10 Places That Don't Exist Anymore
ЧДŃĐœĐŸĐ±ŃĐ»Ń - ŃŃĐŸ, Đ”ŃлО Đ±Ń Đ»ĐžĐșĐČОЎаŃĐŸŃŃ ĐœĐ” ŃĐżŃĐ°ĐČОлОŃŃ?
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)