On June 23, 2012, Rajasthan-5 was under planned biennial shutdown. Work was in progress to weld a piping connection for making alternate provision for water addition to the moderator system. During the work, tritium concentration in the work area increased when an opening was made in the moderator cover gas line. Two of the contract workers involved in the job got internal exposure of tritium equivalent to radiation dose of 24.32 mSv and 16.54 mSv. The radiation dose to the workers though less than the statutory annual dose limit of 30 mSv for workers, exceeded the dose constraints.
Rajasthan-5 is Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) based nuclear power plant. PHWRs use Heavy Water as coolant and moderator. Tritium activity in Heavy Water systems increases over a period of time. Tritium is a soft beta emitter and can cause internal exposure once it enters the body. Tritium gets removed from the body through natural processes.
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 […]