Nuclear Disasters
Nuclear radiation is odorless, colorless, and must be detected with the proper tools, such as a Geiger counter. Radiation can have an effect on the body’s tissues acutely or may cause serious diseases such as cancer.
Scenario: You are a healthcare worker in a small town near a nuclear power plant. As part of your duties, you distribute potassium iodide pills to the community and at area schools. In the scenario:
- Why would residents near a nuclear facility need to keep potassium iodide pills handy?
- How would these prevent serious effects from nuclear radiation?
- What is the mechanism that allows potassium iodide to protect the body?
- Would you live near an active nuclear reactor or support building one in your area? Why or why not?
Your Discussion should be a minimum of 250 words in length and not more than 750 words. Use APA citations and references for the textbook and any other sources used.
In addition to the researched facts you present as your answer, you may provide opinions and real-world experiences where appropriate.
Peer Responses (3-4 complete sentences):
Respond to the primary responses of three of your colleagues. Attempt to add facts, opinions, and life experiences to the discussion. What did you learn from their answer? What questions do you have or how could the original author clarify certain points? What points were the most interesting? Could you contribute to the answer given or summarize it?
Resources to get you started:
American Thyroid Association. (n.d.). Nuclear radiation and the thyroid. Retrieved from http://www.thyroid.org/nuclear-radiation-and-the-thyroid/
United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee. (2016, March 30). Frequently asked questions about potassium iodide. Retrieved from http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/potassium-iodide/ki-faq.html
Villarica, H. (2011, March 14). Radiation exposure: Fast facts about thyroid cancer and other health risks. Time. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com/2011/03/14/radiation-exposure-fast-facts-about-thyroid-cancer-and-other-health-risks/
1. Why would residents near a nuclear facility need to keep potassium iodide pills handy?
Potassium iodide pills(KI) prevent residents from being exposed and affected by the leaked radioactivity in the event of a nuclear accident. When people take this medicine, the effect lasts for about 24 hours, and if taken 24 hours before radioactive iodine enters the body, it is said that it is possible to suppress the intake of radioactive iodine into the thyroid by more than 90%, and effective in suppressing uptake into the thyroid gland by 40% even when taken 8 hours after radiation exposure (Fukui Prefectural Government., 2022). However, it is said that there is almost no effect after 16 hours or more after radiation exposure, so the surrounding area's residents need to have these on hand so they can be taken these pills quickly in the event of a nuclear accident. In fact, after the large-scale nuclear accident in my country in 2011, the government and local governments immediately started distributing KI.
2. How would these prevent serious effects from nuclear radiation?
The uptake of large amounts of radioactive iodine into the thyroid causes thyroiditis, hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, and thyroid cancer (United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee, 2016). KI inhibits the uptake of radioactive iodine into the thyroid.
3. What is the mechanism that allows potassium iodide to protect the body?
If the thyroid gland is already filled with potassium iodide, it cannot absorb the harmful iodine left behind. KI prevents radioactive iodine from entering the thyroid by filling it with harmless iodine, or potassium iodide, which protects the thyroid and other organs from radiation exposure (United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee, 2016).
4. Would you live near an active nuclear reactor or support building one in your area? Why or why not?
I am Japanese and lived in Japan also in 2011 when the Fukushima disaster was. The Fukushima disaster refers to a large-scale accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, which recorded a magnitude of 9.0. At that time, I was 10 years old and lived in a city about 500 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant. Radioactive effects were limited in that area. Even so, Tokyo, the capital of Japan, was only about 200 kilometers away from the nuclear power plant, and people were struck by immeasurable fear. Public fear led to protests, and all nuclear power plants in Japan shut down after the Fukushima disaster.
Nuclear power generation is a very efficient method of generating electricity because it provides a stable supply. However, when it can no longer be kept under human control, it causes enormous damage to the environment, people's health, and life. As someone who experienced a nuclear accident in my country, I am against constructing nuclear reactors. However, at the same time, I understand that there are still problems with the supply of electricity, so instead of eliminating nuclear power plants immediately, I think it would be better if we gradually switched to other power generation methods.
Questions
・Did you see or hear anything about the Fukushima disaster in 2011?
・How would you rate the benefits and risks of nuclear power?
Thank you for reading, guys!! (531 words)
References
Fukui Prefectural Government. (n.d.). Questions and answers about stable iodine tablet. About preliminary distribution explanation material of stable iodine tablet and the explanation picture. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://translation2.j-server.com/LUCPFUKUI/ns/tl.cgi/https://www.pref.fukui.lg.jp/doc/iryou/yousozai_zizennhaihu_d/fil/QA.pdf?SLANG=ja&TLANG=en&XMODE=0&XPARAM=q,&XCHARSET=utf-8&XPORG=e6a49ce7b4a2e38197e3819fe38184e58d98e8aa9ee38292e585a5e58a9be38197e381a6e3818fe381a0e38195e38184,&XJSID=0
United States Nuclear Regulatory Committee. (2016, March 30). Frequently asked questions about potassium iodide. Retrieved from http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/potassium-iodide/ki-faq.html
댓글