A Nuclear Spil is it possible?

There are 3 forms of nuclear radiation. Alpha, Beta and Gamma. Alpha is the most potent yet, could be stopped by a piece of paper or something over your mouth, so that you do not breath/ingest it in. Beta can be stopped by a piece of wood, or certain clothing and equipment, such as basic hazmat suits. Gamma is X-ray, its the least potent, yet it goes through most things and depending on the fallout, it can be concentrated enough to kill you. Radiation poisoning is just like any other poisoning, think alcahol. In small amounts, you are not going to die, if enough gets into your system, you will be screwed. Most of people that died in hiroshima and nagasaki died many hours after the initial detonation, for that were not aware of how to protect themselves from radiation, whilst they evacuated the area.

Knowing that, it will leak, just look at the soviets dumping their nuclear submarines and waste in the arctic. The severity of such actions have little data to account for, however provided the leak is on the ocean floor, it wouldn't affect the people on the surface. Chances are, it might affect the fishes on the sea bed, but it would unlikely affect us, and if i can recall correctly the united states lost a few nukes over the atlantic.

Radiation is however not safe by any means, but nothing like what you would see in Hollywood. It also have long term genetic concequences, but so do many other agents from serious ones such as agent orange, Mercury or sun light. Oh, and i wouldn't eat those fishes thats near the wreck, or the cows/milk from eastern europe. Radiation can also get into water ways but oceans have such a big volume of water its of very little significance. On the other hand, if it was in a river for a town that gets their drinking water from, thats problematic.

Ah I see, thanks for the info...

I didn't know that the SOVIET's did not remove the nuclear reactors before they dumped the nuclear submarines. I thought those are removed, before decommissioned.

Just in case a submarine was lost in the ocean. Will the leak occur immediately? Or it will only happen when the iron body of the submarine starts to rust and decay?

Originally Posted by Delbert

Ah I see, thanks for the info...

I didn't know that the SOVIET's did not remove the nuclear reactors before they dumped the nuclear submarines. I thought those are removed, before decommissioned.

Just in case a submarine was lost in the ocean. Will the leak occur immediately? Or it will only happen when the iron body of the submarine starts to rust and decay?

the way US subs are built it would take some time for any leaking to occur.

The USS Scorpin SSN-589 was declared lost on 5 June 1968. The wreck is being mointored.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Scorpion_(SSN-589)

Environmental monitoring
The U.S. Navy has periodically monitored the environmental conditions of the site since the sinking and has reported the results in an annual public report on environmental monitoring for U.S. nuclear-powered ships and boats. The reports provide specifics on the environmental sampling of sediment, water, and marine life that is done to ascertain whether the submarine has significantly affected the deep-ocean environment. The reports also explain the methodology for conducting this deep sea monitoring from both surface vessels and submersibles. The monitoring data confirm that, by the standards of the U.S. Navy, there has been no significant effect on the environment. The nuclear fuel aboard the submarine remains intact and no uranium in excess of levels expected from the fallout from past atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons has been detected by the Navy's inspections. In addition, Scorpion carried two nuclear-tipped Mark 45 anti-submarine torpedoes (ASTOR) when she was lost. The warheads of these torpedoes are part of the environmental concern. The most likely scenario is that the plutonium and uranium cores of these weapons corroded to a heavy, insoluble material soon after the sinking, and they remain at or close to their original location inside the torpedo room of the boat. If the corroded materials were released outside the submarine, their large specific gravity and insolubility would cause them to settle down into the sediment.

the way US subs are built it would take some time for any leaking to occur.

Still there is Murphy's Law. The USS Houston leaked in Pearl Harbor, Yokohama, and Apra Harbor. The leak wasn't detected in time before it moved about in three places.

Originally Posted by crobato

Still there is Murphy's Law. The USS Houston leaked in Pearl Harbor, Yokohama, and Apra Harbor. The leak wasn't detected in time before it moved about in three places.

True enough. Even the minutest leak should be immedieatly detectied and repaired. They USN tried ro explain the leak aboard Houdton like this..I do not like wiki by the way..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hou..._material_leak

On August 1, 2008 the Navy reported to CNN that the Houston was found to have been leaking radioactive water for months while on patrol and visiting stations in Japan, Guam and Hawaii. The problem was discovered the previous month during servicing at Pearl Harbor. One crewman was exposed to radioactive water but not injured. The Navy reported that the Houston's leak released only a "negligible" amount of radioactivity. The Navy later expanded the estimated time the leak existed to nearly two years, although they maintained the amount of radiation leaked was very small - "less than a smoke detector".

Not a happy time in the sub business.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/env...Trafalgar.html


Radioactive water leaks from nuclear submarine HMS Trafalgar
A British nuclear submarine leaked hundreds of litres of radioactive waste into a river, it has emerged.

Environment watchdogs are investigating the leak at Devonport, in Plymouth, from HMS Trafalgar in which 280 litres of contaminated water were spilled.

The Environment Agency threatened to prosecute the Ministry of Defence or Devonport Management Limited after a series of spills in 2005.

The water, which amounts to more than quarter of a ton, was being removed from the submarine's cooling system and pumped into an effluent tank on shore.

It contained low levels of the radioactive element tritium which were picked up as the water was used to cool the reactor on board the submarine.

The water drained into the River Tamar at Devonport because a hose leaked as the contaminated water was being transferred.

The water was due to be removed and either decontaminated or disposed of as low level nuclear waste.

The spill is the largest in 23 years but tests in the river have showed no signs of increased radiation and the Environment Agency says there is no risk to the public.

A nuclear expert criticised the Ministry of Defence for withholding details of the spill for four days after the accident early on Friday morning.

Nuclear consultant John Large said the leak represented a potential risk to workers at the dockyard and was a serious breach of safety procedures.

He said: "This is very serious because it means there has been a breakdown in nuclear safety protocols.

"The risk to the public is virtually zero but there was a risk to the workers who may have been exposed to this without being aware of it.

"They could have transferred it to other areas of the yard where nuclear safety controls are not in place on their shoes or clothing.

"Systems are in place to stop this sort of leak happening so the very fact that it did means that something has gone seriously wrong.

"There is an underlying problem of accountability and the Ministry of Defence have only described this incident a few days after it occurred."

Ian Avent from the Plymouth-based Campaign Against Nuclear Storage and Radiation said: "It is the worst accident I have heard of. It beggars beliefs it could have happened at all.

"We are lucky the consequences of all the incidents we have had in the dockyard have not been far, far worse. How long are we going to rely on the management being lucky?

"We are relying on their handling of these dangerous processes not just for our health and safety but for our lives.

"This does not inspire any confidence in them at all."

A spokesman for the Royal Navy said no-one had been hurt in the incident and the vessel's nuclear power plant was unaffected.

He said: "Shortly after midnight on the night of November 6/7, during a standard operation to transfer primary coolant from HMS Trafalgar to an effluent tank on the jetty, a hose ruptured, resulting in a leak of the coolant.

"A maximum of 280 litres of coolant were discharged from the hose onto the submarine casing, jetty and into the Hamoaze area of the river Tamar.

"As soon as the leak was discovered, the transfer was stopped, the area was quarantined, monitoring and sampling carried out and a clean-up operation completed.

"Initial sampling has not detected any radioactive contamination in the local environment.

"The environmental risk is assessed to be negligible and analysis of river water has not shown any detectable contamination.

"Investigations into the cause of the rupture are ongoing and will lead to remedial action as necessary to prevent this incident from re-occurring.

"This incident has not affected the submarine's programme."

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: "Our role is to regulate the site to ensure the protection of people and the environment.

"We are certain there is no significant environmental impact, but we have taken our own samples for reassurance purposes and these are in addition to the monitoring carried out by the Ministry of Defence.

"We will investigate the circumstances of this unauthorised discharge and make sure that all necessary measures are taken to stop it happening again."

Perhaps nuclear leaks can be considered a consequence for humans desire to have greater power.