Most Deadly Nuclear Accidents of All Time

Summary

This 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

• 🏭 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.
• 🌐 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.
• 🇬🇧 The Windscale nuclear reactor in Great Britain caught fire in 1957, releasing radioactive contaminants and causing an estimated 250 cases of cancer.
• 🛳️ 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.
• 🇺🇸 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.
• 🚑 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.
• 🏢 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.
• 🌪️ The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant meltdown in 2011 was triggered by a tsunami and earthquake, resulting in radioactive waste leakage and worker fatalities.
• 🔬 Nuclear accidents have occurred due to various reasons, including faulty parts, human error, and natural disasters, emphasizing the need for stringent safety measures.
• 🌍 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.
• ♻️ 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

00:00

🌐 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.

05:00

🔊 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.

10:04

📡 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.

15:05

🌪 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.

Keywords

💡Nuclear Disaster

A nuclear disaster refers to a major accident at a nuclear power plant or a nuclear weapon facility that results in the release of radioactive materials into the environment. In the video's theme, nuclear disasters are the central focus, highlighting the catastrophic consequences of such events on human health and the environment. The script mentions several nuclear disasters, such as Chernobyl, Chalk River Laboratories, and Three Mile Island, emphasizing their impact and the lessons learned from them.

💡Radioactive Waste

Radioactive waste is a byproduct of nuclear reactions that contains radioactive material, posing a risk to both human health and the environment due to its radioactivity. The video discusses the improper handling and disposal of radioactive waste, as seen in the Chalk River Laboratories incident where 1.2 million gallons of radioactive waste were dumped, leading to environmental contamination and long-term health effects.

💡Reactor Core

The reactor core is the central part of a nuclear reactor where nuclear fission occurs, producing heat for power generation. The video script describes multiple instances where the reactor core overheated or malfunctioned, leading to nuclear disasters. For example, at Chalk River Laboratories, the reactor core temperatures rose to dangerous levels, and in the Kyshtym disaster, the reactor exploded, releasing radioactive particles.

💡Meltdown

A meltdown is a severe nuclear accident that occurs when nuclear fuel in a reactor overheats and melts down, potentially leading to the release of radioactive materials. The term is used in the script to describe catastrophic events such as the Chalk River Laboratories accidents and the Three Mile Island incident, where the reactor cores were at risk of or experienced meltdowns, causing significant concerns about radiation leaks.

💡Control Rods

Control rods are devices used in nuclear reactors to control the rate of nuclear fission by absorbing neutrons. They are crucial for maintaining a stable reaction and preventing a meltdown. The script mentions that at Chalk River Laboratories, the control rods jammed, leading to a runaway fission reaction and a meltdown. Similarly, in the Chornobyl disaster, the control rods jammed and exploded, causing a massive explosion and release of radiation.

💡Nuclear Energy

Nuclear energy is a form of energy generated through nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission or fusion, and is used for power generation. The video script acknowledges nuclear power as a great source of energy but also highlights its potential to lead to catastrophe when mishandled, as seen in the various nuclear disasters discussed throughout the video.

💡Chernobyl

Chernobyl refers to the catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred in 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, which is often the first nuclear disaster that comes to mind for many people. The video script uses Chernobyl as an introduction to the topic of nuclear disasters, emphasizing its notoriety and the widespread awareness of its devastating effects.

💡Kyshtym Disaster

The Kyshtym disaster, also known as the Chelyabinsk incident, was a nuclear accident that occurred in 1957 at the Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant in the Soviet Union. The video script describes how the cooling system failed, leading to an explosion and the release of radioactive particles that spread over a large area, causing significant environmental contamination and health issues.

💡Windscale

Windscale, now known as Sellafield, was the site of a significant nuclear accident in 1957 in Great Britain. The video script discusses the Windscale disaster, where a fire in the uranium-filled graphite core released radioactive contaminants into the air, leading to widespread contamination and health concerns, including an estimated 250 cases of cancer.

💡Three Mile Island

Three Mile Island is the site of a nuclear accident that occurred in 1979 at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant in Pennsylvania, USA. The video script describes the pressure valve failure and subsequent events that led to the core reaching dangerously high temperatures, causing the release of radioactive steam and raising concerns about potential health effects, such as increased cancer rates.

💡Fukushima Daiichi

Fukushima Daiichi is a nuclear power plant in Japan that experienced a meltdown in 2011 following a tsunami and earthquake. The video script mentions this disaster as an example of how even with advanced technology and safer reactors, nuclear accidents can still occur, resulting in significant environmental and health impacts, including the leakage of radioactive waste into water supplies.

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  

is Chernobyl. However, this was not the  first nuclear disaster, nor was it the  

last. It seems that several nuclear tragedies  have been either overlooked or intentionally  

left out of history books for various reasons.  Nuclear power can be a great source of energy,  

but it can also lead to catastrophe. You are  about to find out about the most deadly nuclear  

accidents of all time, and the crazy part is  you probably haven’t heard of most of them.

Many consider an accident at Chalk River  Laboratories in the 1950s to be one of the  

first nuclear accidents that ever occurred. Chalk  River Laboratories is located just over 100 miles  

northwest of Ottawa, Canada. In the 1950s, it  was a state-of-the-art facility where scientists,  

engineers, and researchers worked on  developing future nuclear technology. But  

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  

Chalk River encountered a power flow  issue that resulted in a runaway  

fission reaction. The temperature in the  coolant tank began to rise slowly at first,  

but as researchers tried to get it under  control, things went from bad to worse.  

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,  

and the chain reactions continued. Suddenly  three of the rods began to lift out of the  

coolant tank unexpectedly. The engineers  panicked as the rods continued to rise and  

overheat. In the next instant, the core  went into meltdown. Hydrogen explosions  

rocked the building. The reactor seal  blew off its hinges and dumped 1.2  

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  

disposal procedures had not yet been put in place.  The engineers at Chalk River dug ditches only  

5,000 feet away from the Ottawa River where they  dumped the water from the reactor. Unsurprisingly,  

some of the radioactive waste leached into  the Ottawa River system and the surrounding  

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,  

New York at the time where he and 26  other men helped clean up the Chalk  

River nuclear accident. It’s unknown how  many people were affected by this disaster,  

but the insane part is that the  facility reopened two years later  

with very few modifications made to the  its procedures and mechanisms. Therefore,  

it wasn’t 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,  

but a similar set of circumstances led  to problems with this reactor as well.  

The fuel rods began to overheat just like at  the National Research Experimental reactor  

from years before. The scientists realized  they were headed towards a second meltdown  

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  

into the core below. The entire facility was  doused with radiation, and the surrounding  

area became contaminated once again. Even worse,  the valves for the facility’s ventilation system  

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  

the reactor rods went into meltdown.  They dumped buckets of wet sand into  

the hole in the reactor's containment  vessel. The fire was eventually put out,  

but large amounts of radiation had already  leaked from the reactor core. Military  

personnel had to be brought in to aid with  the clean-up of all the radioactive waste.

It’s hard to tell just how many people  suffered due to the radiation leaks at  

Chalk River Laboratories in the 1950s. The people  who worked there and those who helped with the  

clean-up were both exposed to unhealthy levels  of radiation. No reports indicate that anyone  

immediately died from radiation exposure, but  as time went on, medical issues began to arise,  

such as higher rates of cancer and other  illnesses connected to radiation poisoning  

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  

affected the people and environment. We will  also probably never know if the radiation  

leaked into the nearby river systems and ended up  affecting people living downstream. Either way,  

these two nuclear accidents were some of the first  to occur but most certainly wouldn’t be the last.

Between the two nuclear accidents at  Chalk River in the 50s, a much worse  

disaster occurred in the Soviet Union in  1957. After World War II, the Soviet Union  

began constructing nuclear facilities like  crazy. They needed to outdo the Americans,  

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  

Mayak nuclear fuel processing plant was located  in the town of Ozyorsk in southwestern Russia.  

On September 29th, the cooling system at the  facility failed. The core began to overheat  

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  

the Chalk River disaster that was somewhat  contained, these particles swept across  

the Russian landscape, contaminating entire  towns as wind currents carried them across  

the country. The deadly particles spread over  300 square miles. The Soviet government waited  

an entire week before declaring a state of  emergency and evacuating the 10,000 residents  

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  

its existence. The evacuated citizens were given  no clear reason as to why they were being moved or  

that they should be concerned about radiation.  The Soviet people were eventually resettled,  

but as time went on, the population started  to develop some mysterious ailments.

People’s skin began to redden and die. Entire  portions of their skin and muscles fell off the  

bone as a result of high radiation exposure. It  was now clear what had happened in the region  

and what the Soviet government was trying  to hide. In order to cover their tracks,  

Soviet leaders created the  East-Ural Nature Reserve,  

which encompassed the contaminated area. This  was done solely to prohibit access to the region.

It wasn’t until two decades later that a  Russian biologist named Zhores Medvedev blew  

the whistle on his own government and exposed  what had happened at the Mayak facility. It’s  

estimated that 200 people died from cancer  as a direct result of radiation exposure  

from the Mayak nuclear accident. However, it’s  highly likely that thousands more were exposed  

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,  

Ozyorsk did not appear on any official maps.  The Soviet government did their best to suppress  

any information about the facility or the  disaster that occurred there. This is why  

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  

nuclear mishap. On October 10, 1957, Britain's  first nuclear reactor, known as Windscale,  

was working to create more materials for their  nuclear weapons program. The facility had been  

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  

temperatures began to rise. The temperatures  were still within reasonable levels, but they  

didn’t seem to be leveling off. The workers tried  circulating fresh coolant to keep the temperatures  

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  

within the reactor had caught fire.  But this wasn’t a new development;  

the fire had been burning within the core for  at least two days prior. Since the moment the  

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  

into the atmosphere. The engineers at  Windscale needed to keep the core from  

completely melting down to stop any further  contamination. They brought in cooling fans,  

compressed carbon dioxide, and cold water to drop  the core's temperature. After days of work, the  

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  

and into Europe. There was no way to evacuate  the enormous area that was being covered by  

radioactive particles. One set of precautions  taken at the time was to pull all of the milk  

and dairy products from the shelves of stores  for a month. Even still, it’s estimated that  

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  

been avoided. The fire that began in the core  should never have happened, and the fact it was  

allowed to burn for several days put the lives of  countless people at risk. Like with the Kyshtym  

incident in the Soviet Union, Windscale was  hidden from the public for several decades.  

This was likely because Britain didn’t want  its own nuclear weapons program hindered by  

restrictions and red tape. At the time, nuclear  war seemed almost inevitable, and to many,  

the importance of developing nuclear  weapons far outweighed the risks.

Not all nuclear accidents occurred  on land, however. Deep in the North  

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  

gave nuclear-powered ballistic  missile submarines. On July 4,  

1961, K-19 was traveling in the frigid waters  of the North Atlantic when its nuclear engine  

began to overheat. There was a malfunction in  the coolant system, and there was no backup.  

So the sub’s crew did the only thing they could:  they figured out a way to fix the coolant leak.

The reactor started to become alarmingly hot.  If the crew didn’t find a way to redirect  

coolant to the nuclear core, it would explode  and release an enormous amount of radiation  

throughout the submarine and into the ocean.  Brave engineers and other crew members locked  

themselves in the engine room and worked  on fixing the reactor as radiation ripped  

through their bodies. These men knew they  would receive a lethal dose of radiation,  

but that didn’t 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  

water to the core and bring the temperature  down. The submarine couldn’t travel back to  

the Soviet Union on its own, but at least  the core wouldn’t explode and destroy the  

sub. A rescue mission was launched to bring  K-19 back to port. Another sub towed K-19  

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  

have been bombarded by radiation. In the  coming months, many would become seriously  

ill and die as a result of their heroic  actions. Other members of the K-19 who were  

not exposed to as much radiation survived  for many more years. However, all of the  

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  

and the crew members were able to live for a few  years after the accident, other tragedies occurred  

as a result of the K-19 accident. The sub that  towed K-19 back to base also became contaminated  

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  

people on the naval base and the workers who fixed  the sub all became contaminated. Although we will  

never know how many people died as a direct result  of the radiation leak aboard K-19, it would seem  

anyone who came into contact with the sub received  enough radiation to alter their health. It’s  

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  

of the worst accidents at a nuclear power  plant in the world. Up until this point,  

most nuclear accidents were a result of  nuclear material being created for weapons  

or to power vessels of war. However, the  accident at Three Mile Island would cause  

controversy around nuclear energy and the  dangers that come with it. To this day,  

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,  

Pennsylvania, failed to close. The nuclear  plant was supposed to be state-of-the-art  

and promised to bring the United States  an efficient, affordable energy source.  

When the pressure valve in one of the reactors  failed, it caused cooling water contaminated  

with radiation to flow through different parts  of the facility. The workers in the control room  

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  

water continued to spread. They diverted water all  night, but by the following morning, the core had  

reached over 4,000 degrees. If the temperature  increased to 5,000 degrees, it would melt down,  

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.  

The owners of the powerplant downplayed the  critical nature of the situation. First,  

they claimed that the meltdown  was under control when it was not,  

and then they said no radiation was  leaking out of the power plant. However,  

within days radiation was detected in four  different counties around Three Mile Island.  

The governor of Pennsylvania immediately issued  an order for pregnant women and small children to  

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  

properly. People fled their homes and headed to  safety. On March 31, the emergency teams finally  

got the valves back online and were able to cool  the core before it exploded. No direct deaths  

or injuries were recorded during this time at  Three Mile Island, but the fact that radioactive  

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  

infant mortality rates in the region and  the release of radiation from the nuclear  

power plant. If this is true, then  the Three Mile Island incident not  

only caused the American people to become wary  of nuclear energy but also may have led to the  

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  

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  

old equipment behind. However, they did not  follow the proper waste disposal protocols  

when disposing of the equipment, especially  those containing radioactive material. On  

September 13, two scavengers entered the  abandoned building and removed one of the  

teletherapy units that still contained  highly radioactive cesium chloride.

The two men carried the radioactive  unit to a junkyard in a wheelbarrow,  

where they sold it to the junkyard owner.  The problem was that the teletherapy device  

was spewing radiation the entire trip from the  abandoned building to the junkyard. When the  

junkyard owner saw that his newly acquired  device contained glowing blue material,  

he invited friends and family over to see it.  The scavengers, junkyard owner, and everyone who  

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.  

This nuclear accident wasn’t due to a core  meltdown or nuclear weapons but leftover  

medical equipment. It’s estimated that 245  people were exposed to the radiation. This  

led to high rates of cancer in Goiania at  the time, something that could have been  

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,  

1986, at the Chornobyl nuclear power  plant when operators began reducing  

power on reactor number 4 for routine  maintenance and a safety test. The  

safety test was being conducted to identify  if the still spinning turbines could create  

enough power to keep the coolant pumps  running if the plant was to lose power

At 2:00 PM on April 25, reactor number 4’s  cooling system was shut down so that it didn’t  

interfere with the test. Everything seemed  to be going according to plan. There was a  

change in personnel around 11:00 PM when  the night shift took over the test. They  

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  

occurred. An operator pressed the emergency  shutdown button, but the control rods jammed  

as they entered the core and exploded. The blast  caused the 1,000-ton roof to be blown off of the  

nuclear power plant. A fireball erupted into  the sky. Radiation spewed out of the core,  

and irradiated particles filled the sky.  Fires broke out across the Chornobyl power  

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  

without informing the police or anyone involved  of the potential risks of radiation poisoning. By  

6:35 AM, all fires were extinguished, and  the rest of the reactors were shut down,  

but radiation continued to pour out of  reactor 4. The firefighters and workers  

believed that the radiation was under  control, but they were misinformed. When  

it became clear that the nuclear reactor  was still expelling massive amounts of  

radiation, the government ordered the  evacuation of the surrounding areas.

On April 28, Sweedish air monitors detected  large amounts of radiation coming from the  

Soviet Union. The USSR informs the world  that there has been a nuclear accident at  

Chornobyl. Over the next several days,  800,000 workers were brought in to help  

with the cleanup. They pumped liquid  nitrogen underneath the power plant to  

try and cool the core. Mounds of sand were  dumped into the reactor from helicopters.

It wasn’t until May 6 that radioactive emissions  began to decline as the fire in the core burned  

itself out. The emergency workers began  constructing a concrete structure around  

the core to contain the radioactive fallout.  Official records claim that only 31 people  

died as a result of the Chornobyl accident,  but the number is likely much higher due to  

the number of workers involved and the amount  of radiation they were exposed to. Many people  

likely died years later from cancers caused  by the radiation from the Chornobyl explosion,  

while countless acres of land became  uninhabitable due to radioactivity.

As technology advanced and we created safer  reactors, nuclear accidents have decreased.  

There are around 440 nuclear reactors in the world  today. The last one to melt down was the Fukushima  

Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima,  Japan. This disaster was the result of a tsunami  

and earthquake that decimated the northeastern  part of the country. The meltdown resulted in the  

deaths of two workers but leaked radioactive waste  into water supplies and the surrounding area.

Now watch “What If North Korea Launched a Nuclear  

Bomb (Minute by Minute).” Or check  out “What Happens To Nuclear Waste?”