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Normally there is virtually no radiation outside the plant boundary, this is checked frequently by health physics staff. When things go wrong very occasionally, as at Fukushima, there may be radioactive traces from damaged fuel in the reactor. This can come from a variety of fission products with varying half lives.

Internally, radiation levels are also maintained at a low level by massive shielding and checked by health physics.

However, the nuclear fission process emits nearly every kind of radiation - alpha - beta - gamma - neutron - including some of the more esoteric forms such as positrons and neutrino's, as well as radiation by heat, which is used to make steam to turn turbines and make electricity.

Theoretically, and ignoring the heat, if you were standing next to an unshielded reactor that was critical, you would die instantly. Of course, this does not happen in practice because of the shielding and the engineered safeguards that are in place. Even Fukushima Daiichi, as bad as it was, did not release that much high level radiation. (Emphasis on traces.)

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What is the safe distance to avoid power plant radiation?

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Related Questions

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since it is a NUCLEAR power plant, radiation can be released, which is really harmful to people and others. :)


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455,006,789 in a Japanese plant


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Los AlamosHiroshimaNagasakiChernobylThat nuclear power plant in Japan


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The 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine is the only accident in the history of commercial nuclear power to cause fatalities from radiation. It was the product of a severely flawed Soviet-era reactor design and human error.


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the reason mechanical arms are used is because in a nuclear power station nuclear radiation is being constantly given off by the fusion. therefore if a human hand or any other part of the body were to enter and be blasted with radiation and be deformed for life or will be instanly killed depending on the amount of radiation given off.


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The radiation levels rise, causing 1,000% more radiation than normal.


Existing nuclear power plant?

what is the existing of nuclear power plant?


What is the positive of nuclear power plant?

what is negative of the nuclear power plant