Nuclear energy, Radioactive waste.

NUCLEAR ENERGY,

RADIOACTIVE WASTE

Introduction

Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine. Radioactive waste is hazardous to most forms of life and the environment, and is regulated by government agencies in order to protect human health and the environment.

Causes

·         Some are generated insocialutilityfacilities such asradioactivemedicalfacilities, like with X-ray machines, radiation therapy.

·         The most are spent fuel fromnuclear power plants.Among these residues we will find plutonium-239, a radioactive isotope. They emit radiation for thousands of years and have a very high toxicity. They must be specially treated with special containers.

·         Warheads from missiles and atomic bombs.

·         Proliferation of nuclear weapons take a high risk of accidents with the bad use of it.

Consequences

Nuclear energy is a non-renewable energy, which will end sometime and start to pollute. But it contaminates with radiation.
Radiation is one of the most dangerous consequences of nuclear energy.
The radiation may be able to kill you.
There are two types of radiation:

§  Natural radiation .
It is what comes from nature, for example, radiation from outer space, or that come from rocks or minerals.

§  The artificial radiation.

For example, the radiation coming from the TV or the machines that make radiographs.

Also if there is an accident at a nuclear power plant when explode there will be scattering radiation, as happened in Russia in Chernobyl. There could also be a leak of this radiation
The waste of nuclear power are stored in containers and some anti-radiation get into a nuclear waste if the waste escaping from there would be a disaster.

Made by Enrique J. Vervoort & Juan Laorden

Eutrophication Water pollution in rivers and lakes

Eutrophication is a type of chemical contamination of waters. It occurs when there is an excessive supply of nutrients to an aquatic ecosystem.

It is a process natural or caused by the man who is causes by the increase of the quantity of nutrients increasing this way the quantity of phytoplankton, which causes the loss of transparency of the water and increases this way the decomposition of the organic matter.

Causes

1.      High amount of rainfall that carry pesticides or fertilizers applied on soil.

2.      The proliferation of the algae in surface diminishes the transparency of the water and as only the vegetables placed in the surface they can realize the photosynthesis, there die the placed ones in the deepest zones.

3.      On having increased the vegetables, they consume oxygen, provoking the disappearance of the fish

4.      The integration to the lakes of oil, petrol, solvents and detergents from the domestic and industrial unloads

5.      Finally there takes place the death of all the animals. The lake dies.

Measures to avoid the eutrophication

The most effective thing to fight against this type of pollution is to diminish the quantity of phosphates and nitrates in the spillages, in specific:

• To store adequately the manure that is used in agriculture.
• To use the fertilizers more efficiently.
• To use less pollutant crops 

Sandra Martinez Ruiz y Fuensanta Hernández Salmerón

ACID RAIN

ACID RAIN

Acid rain is rain or any other form of precipitation that has unusual high levels of acids, meaning it has lower pH that normal. It can happen in the form of rain, snow or fog in the areas where the weather is wet (wet deposition), or in the form of smoke or dust if the weather’s dry (dry deposition). Acid rain is one of the most serious environmental problems that affects and damages the ecosystems.

Causes:

There are both natural and man-made sources that cause acid rain.

The acids can be produced naturally by volcanic eruptions, lightning strikes or dying vegetation. Acids can also be found in some ice glaciers.

But the main cause is the emission of certain gases, such as sulfur dioxide or nitrogen oxide from electricity generation, factories and motor vehicles, that react with the oxygen and water molecules in the atmosphere forming the acids that later fall back to the ground as precipitations.

SO₂ → H₂SO₄                   Sulfur dioxide → Sulfuric acid

NO₂ → HNO₃                     Nitrogen oxide → Nitric acid

Effects and consequences:

·         Acid rain causes acidification of lakes and rivers which affect water organisms (lost of fish) Acid rain affects lakes and streams in two ways: chronic and episodic. Chronic, results from years of acidic rainfall. It increases the acidity of the water and reduce the levels of nutrients which, weaken the fish and other plants and animals in an aquatic ecosystem. Episodic acidification is a sudden jump in the acidity of the water. This can result from a heavy rainstorm. This may lead to high concentrations of substances such as aluminum, which may be toxic to fish.

·         Acid rain accelerates the decay of building materials and paints, including irreplaceable buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our nation's cultural heritage.

·         Acid rain influence forest vegetation and soils. Acid rain weakens the trees’ natural defenses, making them more vulnerable to diseases. The floors may became infertile and damage it vegetation.

·         Acid rain particles which can be formed from sulfate and nitrate ions can affect respiration and produce diseases such as asthma and bronchitis.

Overfishing

Overfishing

It occurs when fish and other marine species are caught faster than they can reproduce. It is the result of growing demand for seafood around the world, combined with poor management of fisheries and the development of new, more effective fishing techniques.

Causes

POOR FISHERIES MANAGEMENT

 Current government rules and regulations are not strong enough to limit fishing capacity to a sustainable level.

PIRATE FISHING

It is illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, it occurs when people operate in violation of the laws of fishery.

SUBSIDIES 

Many governments still continue to subsidize their fleets, allowing unprofitable operations to subsist, and overfishing to occur. 

 Consequences

• Ecosystems Destruction

The practice destroys the physical environments of marine life, and distorts the entire food chain in the oceans.  

• Economic Impact

There have been many closures to fisheries in many parts of the world. Sustainable fishing ensures that people’s livelihoods are protected and the fishing business is sustained.

• Biodiversity

Marine life is balanced with millions of fish species and other marine animals. Constantly fishing for particular species means soon that kind of fish will be extinct.

By David Marín and Luis Andrés