A special programme of urine sampling on a radiography inspector has confirmed a committed dose equivalent to bone surfaces of 628 mSv and a committed effective dose equivalent of 32.4 mSv following a puncture wound to his right elbow sustained during an inspection of a weld in a plutonium facility. The inspector had to lie on the floor to gain access to the weld and in so doing felt a sharp prick in his elbow. The wound was excised and about 1500 Bq of plutonium was removed from the wound site. It is believed that the wound was caused by a sliver of glass from a mirror which had been used by a welder requiring high quality optical instruments to achieve the required standard of weld. Welding procedures are under review as a result to find means of avoiding glass in contaminated areas. Final assessment of dose was delayed by the administration of a chelating agent, DTPA, immediately following the wound to maximise plutonium excretion.
The Netherlands has agreed to allow Urenco to be used for the British military nuclear program. This clears the way for uranium enriched by Urenco to be used in nuclear weapons. With his decision, Foreign Minister Berendsen (CDA Christen Democrats) is departing from the principle that civilian and military nuclear applications must remain strictly separate. […]
Behnam Raeesian is an internationally recognized visual artist and poster designer from Iran, known for bold political and cultural works. Through exhibitions, workshops, jury roles, and collaborations with cultural institutions worldwide, he has built a strong voice in contemporary political graphic design. His projects confront complex issues such as nuclear risk and technological impact, transforming […]
Everywhere you look, the nuclear industry’s hype machine is in overdrive. Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and the UK government all tout small modular reactors as the silver bullet for climate change and energy security. Tech billionaires are hiring nuclear veterans. Wall Street is whispering about “round-the-clock power” for artificial intelligence data centers. For those old enough […]
Kernenergie en veiligheid: A wargame sought to test if a major radiological release that would prompt the evacuation of millions of civilians in South Korea could distract key US allies from assisting and rebuffing an all-out military invasion of Taiwan. The short answer was yes. The game originally presumed that China, wanting to keep the […]
Big batteries and EVs to the rescue again as faults with new nuclear plant cause chaos on Nordic grids The Finnish nuclear power plant Olkiluoto was finally connected to the grid last year, at an estimated cost of €11 billion compared to the original budget of €3 billion. That cost blowout forced its developer, the […]
