How to reduce the effects of radioactive pollution in Fukushima area?

The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident caused major radioactive pollution in the area, and Japanese scientists are still gathering the data to fully determine the impact of radioactive contamination on wildlife in the area. There is no doubt that the total impact was huge as the large quantity of radioactivity has been released into the atmosphere, and scientists now also need to come up with the fast solutions to reduce the effects of radioactive pollution in Fukushima area.

There is one latest study by the Japanese scientists from the University of Tsukuba that has gathered plenty of attention. In this study the researchers named seventeen microalgae, aquatic plants and algae species that are able to efficiently remove radioactive cesium, iodine and strontium from the environment.

Adding these species in the equation together with existing bioremedial options could help decrease the effets of radioactive pollution in the Fukushima area.

The researchers have also reported that the amount of water polluted with radioactive elements is increasing at daily level because of the continuous injection of cool water and the incurrent of underground water into the still defective reactor.

The researchers are convinced that using these algae species could help decontaminate highly polluted water stored in Fukushima's nuclear reactor building because these algae species have the ability to accumulate cesium on its cell surface.

Before actually using these algae species the researchers need further studies on the mass cultivation and efficient coagulation though they are convinced that using algae species could be one of the most important solutions to decrease the effects of radioactive pollution in the Fukushima area.

Radioactive pollution causes and effects

Radioactive pollution occurs when some of the radioactive substances (such as nuclear waste) get introduced into our living environment. Radioactive substances are not only causing big damage to our environment, but also lead to serious health issues. Radioactive pollution, is therefore one of the most dangerous form of pollution, one that often results in deadly consequences.

Radioactive pollution occurred not only during nuclear disasters such as in Chernobyl 1986 and in Fukushima 2011. Far more deadly consequences of radioactive pollution occurred back in 1945, when United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The effect of nuclear radiation soon spread across the large part of Japan, and millions of lives were lost, some directly after the bombs were dropped and others because of the resulting cancer.

Even slight exposure to radioactive substances leads to serious health issues while exposure to large quantities of radioactive material always leads to death. These substances can enter into our body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection. Many people who live near nuclear power plants develop cancer and leukemia. One of the bigger problems is nuclear waste, and its safe storage, given the fact that nuclear waste remains radioactive for at least 5000 years.

Coal power plant. Coal power plants are major source of radioactive pollution.

 It has to be said that nuclear power plants aren't the only source of radioactive pollution. Some scientists argue that coal power plants are creating even bigger levels of radioactive pollution.  According to a 2008 study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory coal power plant releases 100 times as much radiation as a nuclear power plant of the same wattage. This study argues that radioactive pollution from fossil fuel fired power plants in U.S. alone kill 20,000 people each year.

Radioactive pollution leads to severe contamination of our environment. The scientists still heavily debate about the actual extent of environmental damage caused by radioactive substances, but given the fact that much of the radioactive material remains radioactive for very long time, we can say with high level of certainty that radioactive pollution causes major environmental damage.

World still heavily relies on nuclear and coal power plants which means that radioactive pollution will continue to take millions of human lives for foreseeable future. The worst affected are people that work in these plants, and the ones working in uranium mines (uranium is the main nuclear fuel). Even despite many health measures that include constant monitoring of radioactivity in plants and mines, many of these people end up dying from cancer or leukemia as the result of exposure to radioactive pollutants.

In order to decrease the level of radioactive pollution on global level we would have to replace nuclear and fossil fuels fired power plants with renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind.  The transition to renewable energy, however, isn’t going as fast as some of us would like to, meaning that we are likely stuck with fossil fuels and nuclear for a long time.

This means that we have to think of other ways to reduce level of radioactive pollution. The possible solutions include: reusing old nuclear fuel, safer nuclear waste storage, develop cleaner extraction technologies, prevent illegal dumping of radioactive waste, forbid further development of nuclear weaponry, and so on.

Radioactive pollution facts

Term radioactive pollution refers to the introduction of one or many radioactive substances into our living environment (land, air and water).

Radioactive pollution is mostly a result of human activity, and has its origin in radioactive waste (mostly coming from nuclear power plants).

Nuclear waste remains radioactive for more than 5,000 years meaning that radioactive pollution has long-term effects, and isolating it for such a long period is anything but easy.

The worst cases of radioactive pollution in our planet occurred at the end of the World War two, after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The radiation effect and a resulting cancer took millions of lives in Japan.

In recent times, radioactive pollution is mostly the result of nuclear power plant accidents such as Fukushima and Chernobyl nuclear disasters.

The radioactive pollution has extremely harmful effect on human health because of variety of radioactive gases, liquids or particles.

The levels of radioactive pollution need to be constantly monitored and measured in nuclear power plants in order to avoid nuclear disaster.

Radioactive pollutants can enter our body through ingestion, inhalation, absorption, or injection.

Exposure to large quantities of radioactive material always leads to death. This is because high levels of radiation destroy the cells in our body and cause cancer.

People that work in uranium mines and nuclear power plants are being continuously exposed to radioactive pollution and therefore require protective clothing to avoid being contaminated by radiation.

Radioactive pollution has been linked with genetic defects in children and grandchildren of people that were at some point of life being exposed to radioactive pollutants.

World could decrease the global levels of radioactive pollution by switching from nuclear power to other energy sources such as renewable energy.

Reusing old nuclear fuel is also one of the ways to decrease the level of radioactive pollution.

Some scientists have even suggested that the best possible solution to deal with nuclear waste would be its disposal into space. This, however, could easily result in disaster if, for instance, there would to occur the failure of the launch vehicle.

Illegal dumping of nuclear waste could lead to massive increase of radioactive pollution in the world. This issue is certainly in need of very strict regulations.