The myth whether coal power plants are more radioactive than nuclear power plants exists for two reasons; on one hand, everyone knows nuclear power plants are radioactive. On the other hand, coal was used before radioactivity was discovered, so people don’t associate coal to radioactivity. Also, in movies, nuclear power plants are the ones that blow up. The accident at Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 also reinforced the fear of radiation exposure. It is due to extensive media coverage that people only think of a nuclear power plant as a source of radioactivity.
Coal’s content of uranium and thorium makes it radioactive since both of these elements are radioactive. When coal burns into
fly ash, the radioactive materials are concentrated up 10 times their original levels. According to Scientific American, the coal fly ash deposited within 0.5 to 1 mile from the smoke stack carries 100 times more radiation into the environment than a nuclear power plant providing the same amount of energy, as long as there are no accidents. If the radiation of levels of the complete nuclear fuel cycle, including mining and waste disposal, is considered, coal is still more radioactive than nuclear, but only 3 times. It is necessary to mention that the radiation from even the coal power plants is much less than the naturally occurring radiation. Scientific American disproves this myth. According to measurements referred to in the article, coal power plants emit more radioactive materials than nuclear power plants. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory also disproves this myth.
The article of J. B. McBride, a scientific researcher, brings detailed calculations of how much radiating material is emitted from coal in the U.S. and the world. He doesn’t take a side in presenting supporting data; therefore, his opinion seems objective. For these reasons, the evidence that coal power plants are more radioactive than nuclear power plants is reliable.
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9 comments:
i really like this article. i had no idea that coal power plants produced more radiation thatn nuclear power plants. form now on i'm staying away from coal power plants.
Pretty suprising. Seems to be another case of Hollywood warping reality and embedding misinformation in people's brains.
I thought that this blog was really interesting. I learned a lot about nuclear power plants and the dangers that they really impose. I always knew that they were dangerous, but not to that extent!
if i was uneducated on the subject, i would think that nuclear was an improvement on its predecessor the coal plant, it would be my thought that we would improve on the radiation control instead of worsen it.
I had know idea that coal power plants could have so much radiation. You also did a good job with supporting facts.Very educational, Good job!!
I found this article really surprising and interesting! You used a lot of information to support your statements. Good Job!
If coal plants release more radiation, do they blow up more often? You mentioned that nuclear power plants blow up and their stories are in the news, is this the same for coal plants, or is somebody trying to cover the fact that coal has greater radiation up?
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