answer only if ur sure?

Question

In the early 1900s, scientific research led to the invention of a nuclear reactor. Nuclear reactors can produce energy through the process of nuclear fission. Today, many countries around the world have nuclear power plants. How do nuclear power plants affect the environment?

A. they produce harmful radioactive wastes

B. they release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere

C. they release chemicals that destroy the ozone layer

Answer 1

A

Answer 2

A properly operating nuclear power plant has no harmful effects--no polutants (hemicals) no greenhouse gases, etc.

The catch is that word "properly." Nuclear power plants do produce dangerous radiation and radioactive waste. The waste is not really a problem--we know how and where to store it so it will be confined for the time (hundreds or htousands of yeaars) it takes for it to decay into harmlessness.

The radiation is not a problem (it's contained inside the reactor) UNLESS there's an accident. If that happens, the results could cause catastrophic damage across a wide area--not just environmental devastation but the loss f many lives--many thousands in a populated area.

Thats why there has been so much controversy about nuclear power. Everybody knows the potential benefits--but the consequences of a major accident could be so devastating tht many people are not convinced that we can design in enough safety to make the use of nuclear power worth the risk. Others point out that in 5 decades in which hundredds of plants have been in operation, there has been only one serious accident--and we've learned to do much better in the future. Opponents point to the devastation of that accident (Chernoble, the Ukraine, in the 1980s) and say that even one such accident is one too many.

With the energy problems we're having and climate change, you're going to hear a lot more of this debate in the coming years--and there's no easy answer. A lot of our technology carries some risk (aircraft, for instance, are very safe--but occasionaly one does crash)--and the problem is balancing the risk against the benefits.

Answer 3

Nuclear reactors were developed after World War II, so that'd be the mid-20th century. A company called "General Atomics" (analogous to the existing "General Dynamics") was formed and many designs tried. Oddly enough, according to Freeman Dyson, there were a large number of safer designs than the ones actually employed in building the reactors. But, in answer to your question, A is a shoo-in. Since the power-producing reactions are nuclear in nature their by-products would be isotopic and not really the breakdown products like greenhouse gases or chlorofluorocarbons.

Answer 4

Nuclear reactors directly produce radio active wastes when they are pulled out of the core, but if you look at the extraction of uranium to be used in nuclear reactors there is alot of radioactive wastes at the mine sites as well.

Indirectly nuclear reactors contribute to greenhouse gases as its takes up to 10 years to construct one and fossil fuels are used to construct these reactors. Also the mining of uranium uses fossil fuels so indirectly nuclear power contributes to green house gases.


In the mining, refining and reactor process I don't believe there are any cfc's that are used. The only thing i can think of is if older equipment used in these processes has cfcs as its coolant...


Also there is different environmental effects from nuclear energy. water is used as a coolant and usually from local sources such as lakes. Once the water is warmed up in the reactor it is released back into the lake. As this is much warmer than the natural temperature the water of the lake slowly warms up and fish species slowly die off or move away from the area.

The extraction of uranium causes alot of environmental damage as the leachate tends to be quite acidic and this can cause damage to local flora and fauna.

Answer 5

the thing I am sure of is that B and C aren't relevant to nuclear reactor.
almost every country has a nuclear reactor in fact 89 % of France's power comes from nuclear power plants

Answer 6

A. The results of nuclear fission include some isotopes of strontium and Iridium. This stuff is quite dangerous and needs to be isolated for many, many years (millenia) before it is detoxed.

Answer 7

Mythkil is sweet yet this time isn't after the azaan. This time of the wite thread performing is named subu sadiq. it extremely is earlier the fajar azaan. In South africa Islamic agencies commonly print out a fasting schedule which factors the best time.

Answer 8

a

Answer 9

'A' is correct