Radioactive timebomb in Russian nuclear dump that could threaten Europe?

In summary: The Chernobyl Forum report found "fewer than 50" direct deaths (including nine children with thyroid cancer) and estimated that there may be 4,000 additional cancer deaths over time among the approximately 600,000 most highly exposed people.
  • #1
Shukie
95
0
I just read the following article, from 2007:

20,000 discarded uranium fuel rods stored in the Arctic Circle are corroding. The possible result? Detonation of a massive radioactive bomb experts say could rival the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Read more:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/n...-threatens-europe-14465525.html#ixzz0l1Oedn5S

I find that pretty worrying, but oddly enough, there is hardly any other information to be found on this subject. The only other articles I can find link back to this one, so I wonder, is this just sensationalist reporting or is there some truth to this?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
It can't explode (the article admits this after the headline), the are talking about a hydrogen explosion, from metal which is corroded enough to allow seawater in but is apparently strong enough to allow massive amounts of high pressure hydrogen and oxygen to form.

The environmental effects, which most the article are about, are the exact opposite - a leak of radionuclides would create a massive environmental reserve where nobody wanted to hunt or fish - just like Chernobyl.
 
  • #3
Also, I'm pretty sure the scientific consensus does not include the conclusion that Chernobyl killed 100,000 people.
The 2005 report prepared by the Chernobyl Forum, led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and World Health Organization (WHO), attributed "fewer than 50" direct deaths (including nine children with thyroid cancer) and estimated that there may be 4,000 additional cancer deaths over time among the approximately 600,000 most highly exposed people.[1][5]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

The relecs of the old Soviet Union really are an environmental disaster and need to be dealt with, but we should keep the risk in perspective.
 
  • #4
russ_watters said:
Also, I'm pretty sure the scientific consensus does not include the conclusion that Chernobyl killed 100,000 people
These sort of figures are always suspect, they are extending an outdoors smoking ban here to include beaches and wilderness - the justification is the claim passive smoking is the second biggest killer. The reasoning being that all cancers in non-smokers must be due to second-hand smoke!
 
  • #5
In other news; Russians are evil, and Al Gore has claimed he invented the toaster oven.
 
  • #6
In Soviet Russia, nuclear bomb explodes you.
 
  • #7
One word: Telegraph.
 
  • #8
The hundreds of thousands deaths in Chernobyl meme (and variations) came from taking the total number of deaths in Kiev Oblast for some number of years after the disaster and attributing all of it to Chernobyl.
 

1. What is a "radioactive timebomb"?

A radioactive timebomb refers to a situation where a large amount of radioactive materials are stored in a way that it could potentially cause harm to the environment and human health in the future. This could be due to inadequate safety measures or the potential for the materials to leak or explode.

2. Where is the Russian nuclear dump located?

The Russian nuclear dump is located in the Ural Mountains, near the town of Mayak. It is one of the largest nuclear waste storage facilities in the world, with over 100 million tons of radioactive waste stored there.

3. How could this nuclear dump threaten Europe?

The nuclear dump is located near the Techa River, which flows into the Ob River and eventually into the Arctic Ocean. If there were to be a major leak or explosion at the dump, the radioactive materials could potentially contaminate these waterways and spread to other parts of Europe through ocean currents and air pollution.

4. What caused this potential threat to Europe?

The nuclear dump was built in the 1950s as part of the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons program. At the time, there were no strict regulations or safety standards for nuclear waste storage. Decades of improper waste management and accidents have led to the current situation where the dump poses a potential threat to Europe.

5. What is being done to address this issue?

The Russian government, along with international organizations, is working to improve the safety and security of the nuclear dump. This includes building new storage facilities and implementing stricter safety measures. However, the process of cleaning up and properly disposing of the radioactive waste is a complex and ongoing effort that will take many years to complete.

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