How Does Nuclear Radiation Work?

Anyone interested in science or concerned about nuclear energy may wonder how nuclear radiation works. Radiation, in general, is a byproduct that is created from a nuclear reaction that occurs in a nuclear reactor.

The specific process by which radiation is emitted in a nuclear reaction is called fission.  Understanding fission is important to understanding how nuclear radiation works and where it comes from.

• Fission is a reaction that splits atoms and releases energy, which eventually powers the nuclear reaction. 
• Nuclear fission creates a very powerful chain reaction that works without stopping.
• This reaction can be sustained by itself, and it supplies the nuclear reactors with a continual source of energy. 
• Unfortunately, nuclear fission is very radioactive and can produce a tremendous amount of radiation in the process of releasing energy.

Though fission is beneficial for creating nuclear power, the process has also been used to power nuclear weapons—like those of the Manhattan Project. When used in this way, fission - and the nuclear radiation it creates - can have had terrible consequences for humanity.  This is why fear of nuclear weapons is so great and why no one has used nuclear weapons since the US used them in Japan after Pearl Harbor - the destruction was at such high levels that a nuclear war could end life in the world as we know it.

Radioactive Waste and Radiation as Byproducts

So, is nuclear fission a bad thing? Not necessarily.

• Most commonly, the heat produced in the fission process powers steam turbines, which in turn power generators that give us electricity. 
• When nuclear reactors generate this electrical power, radiation is released as a consequence of the chemical processes. 
• The radioactive waste produced has to be removed and stored with great care because it is detrimental to humans and the environment. 
• Over a very long period of time, the waste will eventually lose its radioactive qualities and will no longer be dangerous material.

Though there are plenty of strict rules about how radioactive waste is to be handled, there are times when it can be illegally dumped or accidentally released.  In cases like these, generally the land and bodies of water around the dump site will become contaminated and the location will be rendered inhabitable to human beings. 

Generation of Nuclear Radiation

To understand nuclear radiation, it is important to understand how the radiation is generated:

• A nuclear reactor is used to generate nuclear power within a power plant.
• The process of the nuclear reactor working to generate energy produces a lot of hazardous waste. 
• This nuclear waste gives off radiation from the reaction that occurs.

Over time, the radiation produced by nuclear energy and nuclear reactions will lessen naturally. It could take over a millennium for the radiation to be completely eliminated.

Effects of Nuclear Radiation

Radiation exists naturally in very low levels that the human body and the environment can sustain without being harmed.  Radiation from nuclear reactions, however, can cause nausea and migraines, and as the levels increase, the effects are much more damaging.  As the level classification rises, radiation can cause hair loss, loss of white blood cells (making casualties of radiation even more susceptible to infections), and, in the worst of cases, can result in death.