Radiation And Fish

[darknirvana217]

I've been studying the effects of strategic weapons on human populations at my university, but was wondering what it would do to the fish? Recently the Colombian rebels were caught with plans and documents pointing to the potential for them to use a dirty bomb using uranium and conventional explosives. What effects could one expect to find in the fish after such an attack? I've heard stories of rats and other animals actually living without disease in Chernobyl, so what would be the possible outcome in this situation?

 

[Colin_T]

Any animal/ fish that comes in contact or is exposed to radiation will suffer some form of cellular or genetic damage. The higher the exposure rate the more chance for serious damage.
You should check out info on the Bikini Atoll. There have been different reports from there about the reef fishes. Some claim there is significant development changes, while others claim there are no ill effects.
I would say there is going to be some damage to fish populations, however new fish will quite often move into the area when the other fish are gone.

The real concern here is hearing about rebel forces planning on using dirty bombs.

 

[darknirvana217]

Yes the scary part is that they probably can get a hold of the uranium, its just a matter of time before they do. Areas like North Korea use nuclear technology and material as a resource they sell to other nations, as they limited in natural resources. I was wondering if the gamma rays and isotopes would effect water the same it would on land, I'll have to check out the effects of the bikini atoll.

 

[Colin_T]

I have always wondered about the water part myself. In nuclear power stations they keep the uranium rods in water to keep them cool, but this water should become radioactive. If this is the case then the water evaporating should be radioactive too. And if that is the case then all the nuclear power stations around thew world are releasing radioactive water vapour into the environment.
Anyone know how that works?

 

[steelhealr]

Make sure we keep this discussion along the lines of effects on fish. SH

 

[Colin_T]

Make sure we keep this discussion along the lines of effects on fish. SH

and water
got to be about the effects on fish and water coz fish live in water.

 

[darknirvana217]

There is no way the IAEA would allow the plants to deposit nuclear material into the atmosphere or local water systems. If they were then animal populations and ecosystems (including fish and water) all over the world would be picking up too many rads to live. They must have a way of keeping the radioactive isotopes inside the reactor. I'm starting to think that water must be able to absorb radioactive particles. Which means bad news for our wet friends. Certainly a Colombian dirty bomb would be very disastrous for fish populations and trade as that would send uranium and radioactive dust into the water.

 

[smbgpd]

There is no way the IAEA would allow the plants to deposit nuclear material into the atmosphere or local water systems. If they were then animal populations and ecosystems (including fish and water) all over the world would be picking up too many rads to live. They must have a way of keeping the radioactive isotopes inside the reactor. I'm starting to think that water must be able to absorb radioactive particles. Which means bad news for our wet friends. Certainly a Colombian dirty bomb would be very disastrous for fish populations and trade as that would send uranium and radioactive dust into the water.

The water used to cool nuclear plants does so by acting like a gigantic heat exchanger (think like a car radiator), the cooling water does not come into contact with the radioactive parts merely contacts the shield around the radioactive parts and keeps that cool which in turn cools the radioactive parts. Its obviously a bit more complicated than that, but for the hard of understanding its close enough.

 

[mike os]

There is no way the IAEA would allow the plants to deposit nuclear material into the atmosphere or local water systems. If they were then animal populations and ecosystems (including fish and water) all over the world would be picking up too many rads to live. They must have a way of keeping the radioactive isotopes inside the reactor. I'm starting to think that water must be able to absorb radioactive particles. Which means bad news for our wet friends. Certainly a Colombian dirty bomb would be very disastrous for fish populations and trade as that would send uranium and radioactive dust into the water.

The water used to cool nuclear plants does so by acting like a gigantic heat exchanger (think like a car radiator), the cooling water does not come into contact with the radioactive parts merely contacts the shield around the radioactive parts and keeps that cool which in turn cools the radioactive parts. Its obviously a bit more complicated than that, but for the hard of understanding its close enough.

ALmost....


they have 2 cooling circuits

the primary system feeds water into the core and then out to a heat exchanger/steam generator. this water is in a sealed system and is contaminated.

the secondary system is heated in the heat exchanger/steam generator and used to drive turbines to produce electricity. water in this system is very slightly contaminated, often less or equal to background levels for most of the world, and is what is cooled in the towers after use, & also released into the sea etc...

Most of the effects from a dirty bomb are from direct contact with radioactive material rather than the burst of high energy particles typical of atomic or thermonuclear devices. DB's don't trigger a nuclear reaction, merely distribute contaminated material over a large area as shrapnel, the only difference being this shrapnel is just as dangerous once it has stopped moving

 

[Dave Spencer]

they have 2 cooling circuits

What you have described here is a pressurised water rector (PWR), which is the most common cooling method in use at the moment.

There are some where the reactor is cooled directly by the water that is superheated to drive the steam turbines. The water does not come in to contact with the nuclear material.

There are also Magnox and advanced gas cooled reactor (AGR) which are gas cooled and popular here in the UK.

As for relevance to fish....we have all seen the three eyed fish on the Simpsons, I think.

Dave.

 

[aaronnorth]

I have always wondered about the water part myself. In nuclear power stations they keep the uranium rods in water to keep them cool, but this water should become radioactive. If this is the case then the water evaporating should be radioactive too. And if that is the case then all the nuclear power stations around thew world are releasing radioactive water vapour into the environment.
Anyone know how that works?

Radioactivity is to do with changing the nucleus of atoms (like adding or subtracting neutrons), not changing physical states of compounds (like going from liquid to gas)