The Nuclear Pollution of Japan - Essay Example

The Cause of Japans Nuclear Pollution and its Effects on the Environment Introduction Japan is one of the countries that have experienced the adverse effects of nuclear energy since the 1950s. More specifically, Japan suffered immensely from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the completion of the Second World War In the years that followed, Japan experienced the lucky dragon incident in 1954. The experiences registered numerous adverse effects and extreme cases of environmental pollution. One would have thought that Japan would be the last country to invest in nuclear power based on its experience with nuclear bombings. However, Japan exhibited a bold move by accepting to undertake research in nuclear power in a move named “atoms for peace”. This meant that Japan joined the United States and other countries interested in the utilization of nuclear power for the economic benefits and promotion of peace. Most importantly, the atoms for peace movement served to highlight the alternative uses of nuclear power contrary to what had existed previously. Prior to these initiatives, nuclear power was of central interest in the development of nuclear weapons. Over the years, Japan has established numerous nuclear plants and has benefited from them immensely. Worth noting is the fact that the country has over 50 reactors, which contributed to about 30% of the county’s electricity supplies. Japan has to invest in alternative energy sources such as nuclear power because it imports over 84% of its energy. The country has established policies that govern the utilization of nuclear power. However, investing in nuclear power poses numerous risks to the environment. The case of Fukushima is an evident illustration of the nuclear pollution that took place in Japan. This paper will discuss the causes of Japan’s nuclear pollution as well as the effects on the environment. As highlighted above, Japan has invested immensely in developing nuclear power research stations. The main purpose of indulging in research as well as establishing numerous radioactive reactors was to develop energy solutions for the country. The potential of nuclear power and energy cannot receive any form of underestimation. The developed world has often regarded nuclear power as the basis of the future energy supply (Evangeliou et al 351). With the increasing overdependence on nonrenewable energy sources, countries such as the United States as well as Japan have focused on developing alternative energy sources from nuclear power. Japan has established policies that define its ventures in the development of nuclear power (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 90). These policies define the safety measures as well as the processes undertaken to limit pollution. The Japanese public has expressed mixed reactions regarding the nuclear plans established in Japan. The public has witnessed the devastating effects of nuclear power in previous bombings using nuclear bombs. Many of the individuals, especially critical analysts have regularly highlighted their concerns about the level of security that serves to prevent any form of nuclear pollution. Over the years, it has become evident that it is impossible to control nuclear pollution completely (Bevelacqua 557). Although the nuclear power plants in japan contribute significantly to the country’s economy, they have posed a constant risk for the environment. Nuclear power has the potential to transform neighborhoods into inhabitable regions (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 89). For example, the case of Hiroshima and the nuclear destruction illustrates the level of impact caused by nuclear pollution. Moreover, genetic studies have highlighted that certain radiotopes contribute to the altering of an individual’s genetic coding. These alterations occur through different types of mutations. For many people exposed to any forms of radiotopes, mutation is an evident effect (Evangeliou et al 351). The consequences of nuclear pollution have proven to be fatal. Nuclear pollution challenges the safety of numerous species existing on earth. Japan’s nuclear pollution results from leakages as well as explosions from the numerous nuclear power plants. For example, Japan faced a critical tsunami in 2011, which triggered the crippling of the Daiichi power plant located in Fukushima. The effects of the earthquake on the power plant posed critical consequences. After the explosion that resulted, many people living in Fukushima faced the compulsion of relocation (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 89). The effort of evacuating the people from the affected regions ensued for a while after the explosion. The Fukushima disaster brought about memories of the 1945 bombing as well as 1986 Chernobyl meltdown. These previous events had presented high levels of nuclear pollution shattering different forms of life in Japan. More specifically, the 1945 bombing presented adverse effects in Hiroshima that took remarkable time for Japan to rebuild the cities and clear them of the resulting nuclear pollution. In the bombing case, nuclear pollution resulted from the continuous reactions of the radioactive elements making up the atomic bomb. It was extremely difficult for Japan to control the level of nuclear pollution during the bombing (Grigoriev 133). The mentioned 1986 Chernobyl disaster also contributed to high levels of nuclear pollution. The Chernobyl disaster registered immense effects because the plant lacked any form of containment, which would prevent overheating in an emergency case (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 89). Moreover, the reactor design exhibited several flaws and the workers operating the plant did not have the require competency. Therefore, the plant exploded contributing to a release of the radioactive reactor core into the atmosphere. Estimates of the level of explosion are that about 5% of the core were released into the atmosphere. About 30 people died in the Chernobyl accident. The accident was the first case of nuclear pollution registered after the 1945 bombing in Japan. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ranked the Chernobyl accident at level 7. Notably, the seventh level is the highest ranking done by the agency. The highest ranking of the disaster was because it contributed to high levels of radioactive material released into the atmosphere. The effects of the release were evident even in Europe (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 89). On the other hand, the Fukushima disaster happened. The Fukushima nuclear explosion also received a 7-point ranking. In the nuclear plant in Fukushima, three of the reactors melted down. It was only after two to three weeks that the reactors began to cool down. However, this period saw the leakage of radioactive material into the atmosphere as well as into the specific ocean. The explosion caused contaminated water with the high percentage of radioactive materials to flow to the surrounding regions (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 89). The Fukushima accident did not present radiation-linked deaths. However, it caused high levels of nuclear pollution because of the leaking contaminated water. Moreover, there were clouds of radionuclides that found their way into the atmosphere. These two cases at Chernobyl and Fukushima revealed that Japan’s nuclear pollution results from accidents in the power plants. As described above, the Chernobyl accident brought in human factors as leading causes because the workers did not have the expected level of competency. Moreover, it emerged that poor designs of nuclear power reactors can present numerous adverse effects (Little 1). The Fukushima event was triggered by a natural disaster. However, it highlights the salient need for Japan to understand its susceptibility to natural disasters and design nuclear power reactors with features that can resist the effect of any future natural disaster (Evangeliou et al 351). Effects of the Chernobyl Pollution on the Environment As highlighted above, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 contributed to the release of radioactive gases as well as the deposition of the radionuclides. The fact that the disaster remained uncontrolled for over ten days translated to increased release of radionuclides. This release affected many areas in Europe about 2000 kilometer squared region. The radioactive elements included strontium and plutonium in the deposits while radiocaesium contaminated Europe (Little 3). Since the radionuclides that caused contamination in different parts were analyzed, and researchers highlighted that they had short half-lives, they decayed after some time. However, the exposure to radionuclides can present critical mutations in human beings and other adverse effects in different species. Therefore, the safety of people in Europe and japan was at great risk during the accident. The urban environment also registered high levels of contamination. The main cause for this was the deposition of the radionuclides on streets, roads, parks, roofs, and lawns occurs (McMahon et al 36). In the dry conditions, lawns, roofs bushes, and trees were at a higher risk of contamination. However, the wet conditions saw high levels of contamination in soil plots and lawns. The increased level of contamination in an urban environment triggered the evacuation of people. The contamination of the urban environments presented secondary effects exhibited in high contamination of sewage systems. Over the years, the air doze ratings of the solid services in urban areas proved to be in the background level indicating the fading away of radioactive contamination (Perrow 56). The Chernobyl nuclear disaster also contributed to the contamination of the agricultural environment. Many radionuclides found their way to agricultural plants as well as animals. The reason for this is that the green leafy vegetables and other crop types exhibited high levels of contamination with radionuclides (McMahon et al 36). Consumptions of such crops and vegetables by animals led to the contaminated milk especially in Europe. The high levels of contamination of agricultural products translated to stringent regulations of consumption in the affected areas. Notably, it has proved difficult to determine the half-lives of the radionuclides that contaminated the agricultural environment (Evangeliou et al 355). Although there is an evident reduction of contamination over the years, long-term effects persist. The forest environment was also subject to high levels of contamination. Specifically, forests and mountain areas received contamination from radiocaesium. Unfortunately, the recycling of radiocaesium has contributed to long-term effects on the forest environments (Perrow 57). Samples of plants such as mushrooms and berries still exhibit high levels of contamination. Researchers have highlighted that the contamination in the forest environment is likely to continue for several decades. Although timber used for construction still has minimal levels of contamination, it is considered safe because there are fewer chances of exposure to humans. However, wood ash has high levels of contamination that can pose risks to the human population (Steinhauser, Brandl, and Johnson 470). In addition, the Chernobyl accident led to the contamination of water systems in Japan and Europe. Immediately after the explosion, deposition of radionuclides in rivers and lakes occurred. The deposition affected the safety of drinking water in different reservoirs (Perrow 56). The level of contamination would decline gradually because of delusion, physical delay, and other processes such as detainment of the radionuclides in catchment soils. In lakes and reservoirs, many radionuclides settled in the bed sediments. Fish in different lakes exhibited high levels of contamination with the radioiodine. Other aquatic animals and plants also faced contamination introduced by different radionuclides in the aquatic environments and food chains. There are long-term effects of contamination in the aquatic environment that have persisted until the modern day (Steinhauser, Brandl, and Johnson 470). The human population was at a great risk because of the resulting contamination of these environments. Young children faced the greatest risk because their genetic constitution was subject to radiation damage through mutations. Although there are inconclusive reports describing the health effects of the nuclear population of people, it is evident that many people suffer the long-term effects of radiation. The explosion led to the death of about 30 people working at the plant. Victims of the disaster who faced evacuation lacked a basic need because they were left homeless(Steinhauser, Brandl, and Johnson 473). The Chernobyl incident threatened the survival of these people. The continued exposure to the radioisotopes placed them at an increased susceptibility to cancer. Since many agricultural products faced contamination as well, some individuals exposed themselves to further contamination by consuming such foods (Perrow 56). There is evidence that the nuclear pollution presented a large-scale effect on the human population. Effects of the Fukushima Pollution on the Environment The Fukushima nuclear pollution, which occurred in 2011 resulted to numerous effects on the environment. The explosion included a combination of radioactive elements. Soil contamination of high levels occurred. In accordance with the Japanese Ministry of Science and Technology Researchers, soils in the regions surrounding Fukushima exhibited the presence of radioactive substances (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 60). The most critical radioactive substances found in the soil and that have a capacity to threaten human life included strontium-90, iodine-131, and radiocaesium-137. Strontium-90 easily finds its way into the human body and undergoes normal metabolism similar to the metabolism of calcium. Eventually, strontium causes leukemia and other malignancies in the blood and bone marrow. The iodine radioisotope finds its way into the thyroid gland and triggers the formation of thyroid cancer. Finally, radiocaesium undergoes metabolism similar to the one of potassium in the body (Grigoriev 136). Since it is eliminated in urine, it can cause severe damages and unborn children triggering radiation mutations. The fact that the Fukushima disaster triggered the deposition of these elements in soil serves to highlight the extent of contamination resulting from the nuclear pollution. The Fukushima nuclear pollution also contributed to the marine environmental contamination. After the explosion, Japan exhibited numerous efforts in cooling the reactors. They relied on water in an effort to cool the overheating reactor . This contributed to the increasing levels of contaminated water. The contaminated water found its way into either the soil, sea, sea or the atmosphere through evaporation. There is evidence that the Fukushima nuclear pollution contaminated the coastline causing the presence of radioisotopes in the deep water. Different radioisotopes contributed to the marine contamination. The northeast coastline of Japan is one of the areas with rigorous fishing activities in the globe. Japan prefers seafood whose source is the North-East region (Grigoriev 135). It is unfortunate that the Fukushima accident contributed to the contamination of fish and other water animals. The contamination did not exclude marine plants, a factor that introduced too many isotopes into the food chain. The contaminated food chain posed numerous adverse effects to the human population (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 80). The Fukushima event also led to the contamination of food and drinking water. Notably, food and drinking water should not present any levels of radioactivity. The reason is that any small percentage of radioactivity present in either food or drinking water can trigger mutations and cause cancer in the end. However, there are certain determined levels of radioisotopes in drinking water that appear to be safe. Any rate of radioactivity exceeding the established rates is fatal to humans (Grigoriev 135). After the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, high levels of food and water contamination occurred. Just one week after the event, both water and food contained iodine and caesium radioisotopes. Surveys carried a month after the accident exhibited high levels of radioactivity contamination in some foods. Most importantly, vegetables and fruits in areas such as Kawamata, Sirakawa, Sukagawa, Saigou, Minamisoma, Iwaki, Tamura, and Ono exhibited high levels of contamination. Although these municipalities were not inclusive of the evacuation zone, agricultural products proved to be highly contaminated. In addition, milk, beef, rice, fish, seafood, tea, and drinking water proved to have different levels of radioisotopes (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 60). The contamination in food products posed a great risk to the human population living in the affected municipalities. Consumption of such foods posed the dangers of radiation, which triggers mutation and can cause different malignancies. The Fukushima nuclear accident posed numerous effects on the health of people. In the case of employees working at the plant, the rescue team involved as well as cleanup workers involved in cleaning the environment, high levels of radiation occurred. The employees inhaled airborne emissions because they were present during the explosion. In their efforts to cool down the plant, further radiation took place (Perrow 57). The groups of individuals became susceptible to the adverse effects of high levels of radiation. There is inadequate information concerning the level of internal radiations, but there is no doubt that these individuals were at a very high risk. In addition, the inhabitants of the affected municipalities also faced radiation exposure. The government embarked on evacuating over 200,000 people (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 78). The group comprised of children who are at a very high risk of developing mutations after a radiation exposure. Surveys have sought to determine the level of radiation exposure in the areas close to the plant as well as those further away. There is evidence that many children inhaled iodine radioisotopes and other radioactive particles, which threatened their safety. Individuals consuming contaminated food also exposed themselves to high levels of radiation. As highlighted above, agricultural products comprised of numerous radioisotopes. Efforts Made By Japan in Cleaning Up after Nuclear Pollution After the occurrence of nuclear pollution, Japan sought to clean up the mess that resulted. There was a salient need for the government to register efforts in cleaning up the contamination that had occurred. An evident crisis placed emphasis on the need for the government to spend a remarkable amount of money in the cleaning up project. The fact that some members of the public were against the nuclear power plants in the first place introduced blames on the government (Perrow 57). In both the 1986 and 2011 events, people were at a very high risk of exposure to radiation. Moreover, the evacuation of people from their homes made many people desperate. The government needed to take measures that would control the level of contamination in the environment. Japan also faced external pressure from countries such as the United States and other countries because of the global effects arising from the nuclear pollution (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 80). The Japanese nuclear pollution had spread to regions in Europe a factor that made it difficult to control the level of contamination in the future. It is unfortunate that after the Chernobyl nuclear pollution, the Japanese government did not carry out effective cleanup. The failure to complete the cleanup process explains why contamination has persisted over the years in the environment (Hayashi, Drovak, and Hotz 80). It proved impossible to control the contamination process a factor that placed many people at a risk. The Fukushima nuclear accident caused remarkable contamination as well. The government expressed its commitment to clean up and make the environment safer for the people. However, the cleanup process is still in primitive levels. The government sought to employ experts from across the globe that would have the relevant expertise to carry out the radiological cleanup. However, a closer analysis of situations as they are indicates that not much has been achieved. The methods approved by the government as the most effective in getting rid of the radioisotopes from the environment have proved to be quite inefficient. The local Japanese companies sought to intervene by developing effective and reliable decontamination methods (Grigoriev 137). However, the government did not corporate with them effectively. Many people have a conviction that the government is not doing enough in the radiological cleanup aimed at making the environment safer. The radiological cleanup process in Japan has been facing numerous challenges. Worth noting is the fact that there is lack of expertise and effective methodologies of cleaning up different radioisotopes from the environment. This has proven to be the most critical challenge that Japan has faced. Although the country has sought expertise from foreign countries, it emerges that the existing methodologies only suit lower levels of contamination. The fact that radioisotopes spread easily through wind and rain has often served to reverse the efforts made by the cleanup workers. Although the government has been focusing on ensuring that the exclusion zones would be safe for habitation in the future, there are numerous uncertainties surrounding the cleanup process (Perrow 57). Other challenges include the lack of sufficient funds to support the cleanup processes in local municipalities. With the widespread contamination that took place, it is evident that Japan will spend more time and money before a remarkable decontamination can occur. Conclusion Evidently, Japan has embarked on its efforts of producing electricity from nuclear power plants. The country lacks sufficient energy to support its rigorous economic activities. Instead of relying on imported energy, Japan opted to consider the potential in nuclear power. However, accidents occurring in the nuclear power plants have presented numerous effects on the environments and the human population. There is an increased fear that containing the effects of nuclear pollution will take a lot of time and resources. Therefore, Japan should reconsider the safety systems of its nuclear power plants. Work Cited Bevelacqua, J. J. "Fukushima Daiichi Accident and Its Radiological Impact on The Environment." Physics Teacher 50.6 (2012): 354-358. ERIC. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. Evangeliou, Nikolaos, et al. "Wildfires In Chernobyl-Contaminated Forests And Risks To The Population And The Environment: A New Nuclear Disaster About To Happen?." Environment International 73.(2014): 346-358. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. Grigoriev, Yury. "Six First Weeks After Chernobyl Nuclear Accident (Memoirs Of An Eyewitness)." Environmentalist 32.2 (2012): 131-135. Energy & Power Source. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. Hayashi, Yuka, Phred Drovak, and Robert Lee Hotz. "In Japan, Relief at Radiations Low Toll." Wall Street Journal - Eastern Edition 10 Mar. 2012: C3. Academic Search Complete. Web. 29 Jan. 2015. 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