ISSUES
OF NUCLEAR ENERGY – ENVIRONMENT
News: Explained | The Fukushima
N-wastewater controversy
What's
in the news?
●
Last month, amid strong backlash from the
public and neighbouring countries, Japan began the release of contaminated
water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
Key
takeaways:
●
On April 13, 2021, Japan’s government
announced plans to release over one million tonnes of contaminated water from
the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea over the next 30 years.
●
The wastewater is a byproduct of the
catastrophic 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which disabled the Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power plant, leading to the release of radioactive materials.
●
Radioactive pollution occurs when
radioactive materials are present or deposited in the atmosphere or environment
Nuclear
Waste:
●
Nuclear waste is waste radiated during the
nuclear energy production process.
●
The nuclear plant produces radioactive
nuclear waste.
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It can cause serious damage to human
health and the environment
●
One must avoid coming in contact with such
radioactive nuclear wastes.
Issues
of Fukushima Nuclear Waste:
1.
Health Impacts:
●
Environmental groups like Greenpeace say
that radioactive materials (like carbon-14) can remain in water post-discharge.
●
It results in their concentration in the
food chain, and further creates multiple health problems.
2.
Effect on Marine Ecosystem:
●
There is a fear that some aquatic animals
may die. As the waste discharge might hamper the stability of the marine
ecosystem.
3.
Blow to Fishing Industry:
●
Water release will also threaten the
confidence of the masses regarding the quality of seafood.
●
People might start consuming less. Thus,
hampering the livelihood of fishermen.
4.
Mistrust among neighbours:
●
Both China and South Korea have criticised
the Japanese plan to release radioactive water. This may hinder their future
relations.
Nuclear
Waste Disposal in India:
●
In India the nuclear waste disposal is
based on the concept of – ‘Delay and
Delay’, ‘Dilute and Disperse’, ‘Concentrate and Contain’.
●
Effective
management involves segregation, characterization, handling,
treatment, conditioning and monitoring of nuclear waste prior to its final
disposal.
●
A low
level of waste is stored for 10- 50 years. It allows most of the
radioactive isotopes in low-level waste to decay. After that, it is disposed of
as normal refuse.
●
The management of high-level waste in the Indian context encompasses the following
three stages:
●
Proper Labelling - Any material containing
radioactive material must be labelled, with the required precautions stated on
the label’s content.
●
Immobilization
of high-level liquid waste into vitrified borosilicate glasses
through the process of vitrification.
○
Vitrification
is the rapid cooling of the liquid medium in the absence of ice crystal
formation. The solution forms an amorphous glass as a result of rapid cooling.
○
India has operating vitrification plants
at Tarapur and Trombay.
●
Engineered
interim storage of the vitrified waste for passive
cooling & surveillance over a period of time, qualifying it for ultimate
disposal.
●
Ultimate
storage/disposal of the vitrified waste in a deep
geological repository.
Concerns
associated with Nuclear Waste:
1.
Long Half-Life:
●
The products of nuclear fission have long
half-lives. This means that they will continue to be radioactive for thousands
of years and pose a risk to the surrounding environment.
2.
Storage Sites:
●
It is very difficult to find a suitable
disposal site for them due to environmental and public concerns.
3.
Grave health impacts:
●
The biggest concern is the negative
effects it can have on the human body when exposed to radiation. Long-term
exposure to nuclear waste radiation can even cause cancer.
4.
Adverse impact on nature:
●
Not disposing of nuclear waste properly
can have huge environmental impacts. It can cause genetic problems for many
generations of animals and plants. Further contamination of water, air, and
soil can also occur.
5.
Financial Strain:
●
If any nuclear accident occurs, then the
cost of cleaning everything up and making everything safe once again is very
high.
WAY
FORWARD:
●
Japan should release the wastewater
gradually in accordance with international standards. Further Fukushima’s food
products in Fukushima have to adhere to the 50 Bq/kg radiation. This will win
consumer trust.
○
Japan is using an extensive pumping and
filtration system known as “ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System)”. The ALPS
process helps in extraction of tonnes of newly radioactive water.
●
In the Indian context, India should
construct a deep geological repository for disposing of high-level waste. The
government has to give priority to the areas having remoteness from the
environment and the absence of circulating groundwater in such construction.
●
The repository must have the ability to
contain radionuclides for geologically long periods of time.
●
Similarly, due adherence to Environmental
impact assessment is also observed before establishing a waste disposal
facility.
●
India also has to enable Greater Research
and Development towards the development of new vitrification technologies like
Cold Crucible Induction Melting (CCIM).
●
It has the capability to treat various
high-level waste forms with better waste loading and enhanced melter life.
India requires nuclear
energy in the form of an alternate fuel that would meet its future demand and
climate commitments. Nuclear plants can be established and operated only when
there is significant public trust in their functioning. This automatically
demands the safe disposal and management of nuclear waste.