Pros and Cons of Storing Nuclear Waste Essay Example

Pros and Cons of Storing Nuclear Waste Paper Nuclear Pros and Cons A seemingly ideal action, Yucca Mountain is 100 miles outside of Lass Vegas, with the nearest humans 15 miles away (Hansen, 2001). However, many environmentalists and Nevada residents have grave reservations about putting the permanent storage at Yucca Mountain, citing concerns such as waste transportation dangers, geological instability, and the inability of the site to store all of the United States waste. They feel this is a hasty decision that is political in nature (Hansen, 2001). While the storage of nuclear waste is not an ideal situation, Americas current reliance on nuclear power makes it a necessity. The Yucca Mountain repository is currently the best option for long-term storage because of its relative isolation from human settlements, natural geological features, and its large storage capacity. Since nuclear waste is deadly to humans, the location of a long-term facility is crucial. In the event of a catastrophe, the ability to isolate the area effectively and expose as few people as possible to danger is critical. With the closest humans 15 miles away, Yucca Mountain is an ideal place to build the repository. The location provides the safety necessary for the success of the reject by limiting peoples exposure to radioactivity. We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Storing Nuclear Waste specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Storing Nuclear Waste specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pros and Cons of Storing Nuclear Waste specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The desert isolation also provides better security for the site, protecting from an easy assault by terrorists. With no one living near the mountain, several checkpoints can be setup allowing almost impregnable security access. While the isolation of the site is a selling factor, the same seclusion creates one of the biggest dangers associated with this project. That problem is the transportation of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain. The majority of states will ship many tons of waste by rail or truck to the repository. Critics feel human error and weather conditions could lead to many accidents, with the possibility of a situation similar to Coherently. They feel that the more waste that is transported, the better chance an accident will occur. The fear is that emergency workers will not be able to handle the type Of problems that could arise. However, tests of the shipping containers and computer modeling have produced little evidence that an accident would cause a wide spread release (Hansen, 2001). As long as trained emergency workers can effectively handle potential dangerous situation, the rewards of the sire far outweigh the risk involved. The Department of Energy plan calls for a site whose natural geological features, when mixed with human barriers, will provide a safe storage facility for the waste. According to a 1 998 study, Yucca Mountain fits this requirement. Summarizing 15 years of site data, the Department of Energy report stated that the arid climate and stable geology would reduce the risk of a leak, with any leakage having to pass through 1 000 feet of rock to reach the water level (as cited in Hansen, 2001). The study concludes that once sealed, there would be little or no increase in radiation exposure for 10,000 years (Hansen, 2001 ). Critics, including Novenas Agency for Nuclear Projects, disagree with the findings of the study however. Citing other geological reports, Novenas Agency for Nuclear Projects claims that Yucca Mountain sits on an active earthquake zone and has received at least 600 examples of seismic activity Of 2. 5 Or higher (as cited in Hansen, 2001 This activity could lead to a rupture in the tanks, which may result in a leak. The Department of Energy is confident that the potential seismic events will not result in container leakage since the design of the containers allows them to stand up to the elements and last 1 0,000 years. Even if the unthinkable occurs, the sites isolation will help keep danger to a minimum. The other major factor making Yucca Mountain an ideal choice is the storage capacity of the site. Estimations state that 84,000 metric tons of waste will require storage by 2035 (Hansen, 2001 Even though Yucca Mountain only holds 70,000 metric tons, the majority of waste will be able to be safely stored. The large facility can double as a testing ground for new technologies, such as transmutation, and allow their incorporation into future storage sites. According to the National Research Council, Transmutation, the process of making nuclear waste less radioactive by extracting plutonium, allows isolation times to decrease significantly (as cited in Hansen, 2001). Since the finished product is safer, it can be securely stored closer to humans. The major drawback is the cost, with estimates saying the process would cost $280 billion according to a 1999 Department of Energy study (as cited in Hansen, 2001). However, the increased energy production created by the process will subsidize the cost. The other problem, according to the same 1999 Department of Energy study, is that the process would take 1 1 7 years to transmute the current American nuclear waste (as cited in Hansen, 2001). Continued research should help to decrease the cost and increase efficiency, allowing for even safer storage in the future. Nuclear energy is an important element of our electrical production. Unfortunately, nuclear waste is a necessary by-product requiring the utmost safety. An isolated location with many natural barriers is necessary for the safe storage of nuclear waste. Yucca Mountain best seems to fit the requirements for a repository. Critics feel that long and frequent transportation runs increase the likely hood of a disastrous leak. The containers used to ship the waste should prevent this from happening. Opponents feel that any leakage could result in danger to inhabitants of the region. However, the closest people to Yucca Mountain are 15 miles away. The deep rock should prevent any radioactivity from affecting the water evils, and the location of the mountain will make protection of the facility from terrorist mush easier.

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry Periodicity Definition In the context of chemistry and the periodic table, periodicity refers to trends or recurring variations in element properties with increasing atomic number. Periodicity is caused by regular and predictable variations in element atomic structure. Mendeleev organized elements according to recurring properties to make a periodic table of elements. Elements within a group (column)  display similar characteristics. The rows in the periodic table (the periods) reflect the filling of electrons shells around the nucleus, so when a new row begins, the elements stack on top of each other with similar properties. For example, helium and  neon are both fairly unreactive gases that glow when an electric current is passed through them.  Lithium and sodium both have a 1 oxidation state and are reactive, shiny metals. Uses of Periodicity Periodicity was helpful to Mendeleev because it showed him gaps in his periodic table where elements should be. This helped scientists find new elements because they could be expected to display certain characteristics based on the location they would take in the periodic table. Now that the elements have been discovered, scientists and students used periodicity to make predictions about how elements will behave in chemical reactions and their physical properties. Periodicity helps chemists predict how the new, superheavy elements might look and behave. Properties That Display Periodicity Periodicity can include many different properties, but the key recurring trends are: Ionization Energy  - This is the energy needed to completely remove an electron from an atom or ion. Ionization energy increases moving left to right across the table and decreases moving down a group.Electronegativity - A measure of how readily an atom forms a chemical bond.  Electronegativity increases moving left to right across a period and decrease moving down a group.Atomic Radius - This is half the distance between the middle of two atoms just touching each other. Atomic radius decreases moving left to right across a period and increases moving down a group. Ionic radius is the distance for ions of the atoms and follows the same trend. Although it might seem like increasing the number of protons and electrons in an atom would always increase its size, the atom size doesnt increase until a new electron shell is added. Atom and ion sizes shrink moving across a period because the increasing positive charge of the nucleus pulls in the electron shell.Electron Affinity - This is a measure of readily an atom accepts an electron. Electron affinity increases moving across a period and decreases moving down a group. Nonmetals usually have higher electron affinities than metals. The noble gases are an exception to the trend since these elements have filled electron valence shells and electron affinity values approaching zero. However, the behavior of the noble gases is periodic. In other words, even though an element group might break a trend, the elements within the group display periodic properties. If youre still confused or need additional information, a more detailed overview of periodicity is also available.