1. Chernobyl disaster (1986): The explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine released about 5.2 million petabecquerels (PiBq) of radioactive material into the atmosphere. The cleanup efforts involved the construction of a concrete sarcophagus (Chernobyl Shelter) over the damaged reactor, followed by the installation of a New Safe Confinement structure in 2016 to further contain the radiation.
2. Fukushima Daiichi disaster (2011): Following a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan, a meltdown occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The accident released an estimated 940,000 terabecquerels (TiBq) of radioactive material into the environment. Cleanup efforts have been ongoing, including the decommissioning of the damaged reactors, containment of contaminated water, and decontamination of affected areas.
3. Three Mile Island accident (1979): At the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, USA, a partial meltdown of the reactor core led to the release of a small amount of radioactive gases and iodine-131. The cleanup included the removal of damaged fuel, environmental monitoring, and reestablishment of public trust in nuclear power safety.
4. Kyshtym disaster (1957): An explosion occurred in the Mayak Production Association, a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in the Soviet Union. The incident released an estimated 740 PBq of radioactive material mainly into the atmosphere, which led to significant contamination of nearby areas. The cleanup efforts involved evacuating affected populations, decontamination, and the construction of burial sites for radioactive waste.
5. Windscale fire (1957): At the Windscale nuclear reactor in the UK (now called Sellafield), a fire broke out and released radioactive material into the environment. While exact figures of the released radiation are unknown, it is estimated to be around hundreds of thousands of curies. Cleanup primarily involved the removal of contaminated materials and improved safety measures.
6. SL-1 reactor accident (1961): Located near Idaho Falls, USA, the SL-1 reactor experienced a steam explosion, causing the deaths of three operators and releasing radioactive materials. The cleanup efforts included removing the contaminated debris and decontaminating the site.
It is important to note that the term “clean up” can refer to different activities depending on the specific nuclear disaster. In some cases, it involves the removal and storage of contaminated materials, environmental remediation, decontamination efforts, and the establishment of long-term solutions to prevent further releases of radiation.
