In order to prevent a loss of coolant accident from turning into a meltdown, plant operators have to cool down the reactor’s core. This means flushing more coolant through the overheating fuel rods. The newer the fuel rods are, the faster this cooldown will occur.

If an accident at a nuclear power plant were to release radiation in your area, local authorities would activate warning sirens or another approved alert method. They also would instruct you through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) on local television and radio stations on how to protect yourself.

There have been two major reactor accidents in the history of civil nuclear power – Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi. Chernobyl involved an intense fire without provision for containment, and Fukushima Daiichi severely tested the containment, allowing some release of radioactivity.

The process will involve vacuuming radioactive particles and clearing out the “lava” mixture that formed when Soviet workers dumped sand, lead, and boron into the burning reactor. These efforts are expected to last through 2065.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Babies that were exposed in the womb to radioactive iodine after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident have had an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer in the ensuing 20 years, according to a new report.

Fallout radiation decays relatively quickly with time. Most areas become fairly safe for travel and decontamination after three to five weeks.

Since the early 1980s, the world has known that a large nuclear war could cause severe global environmental effects, including dramatic cooling of surface temperatures, declines in precipitation, and increased ultraviolet radiation.