User:Milton Beychok/Sandbox: Difference between revisions
imported>Milton Beychok No edit summary |
imported>Milton Beychok No edit summary |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
As most [[ore]]s in the Earth's [[Crust (geology)|crust]], coal also contains low levels of [[uranium]], [[thorium]], and other naturally-occurring [[radioactive isotopes]] whose release into the environment leads to radioactive contamination. While these substances are present as very small trace impurities, enough coal is burned that significant amounts of these substances are released. A 1,000 MW coal-burning power plant could release as much as 5.2 tons/year of uranium (containing {{convert|74|lb|kg}} of [[uranium-235]]) and 12.8 tons/year of thorium. The radioactive emission from this coal power plant is 100 times greater than a comparable nuclear power plant with the same electrical output; including processing output, the coal power plant's radiation output is over 3 times greater.<ref>[http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev26-34/text/colmain.html Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger?] by Alex Gabbard, [[ORNL]] Review, Summer/Fall 1993, Vol. 26, Nos. 3 and 4.</ref> | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
Revision as of 17:22, 23 December 2008
As most ores in the Earth's crust, coal also contains low levels of uranium, thorium, and other naturally-occurring radioactive isotopes whose release into the environment leads to radioactive contamination. While these substances are present as very small trace impurities, enough coal is burned that significant amounts of these substances are released. A 1,000 MW coal-burning power plant could release as much as 5.2 tons/year of uranium (containing 74 lb (33.57 kg) of uranium-235) and 12.8 tons/year of thorium. The radioactive emission from this coal power plant is 100 times greater than a comparable nuclear power plant with the same electrical output; including processing output, the coal power plant's radiation output is over 3 times greater.[1]
- ↑ Coal Combustion: Nuclear Resource or Danger? by Alex Gabbard, ORNL Review, Summer/Fall 1993, Vol. 26, Nos. 3 and 4.