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Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Robotics & Remote Systems
The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
Meeting Spotlight
Conference on Nuclear Training and Education: A Biennial International Forum (CONTE 2025)
February 3–6, 2025
Amelia Island, FL|Omni Amelia Island Resort
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Reboot: Nuclear needs a success . . . anywhere
The media have gleefully resurrected the language of a past nuclear renaissance. Beyond the hype and PR, many people in the nuclear community are taking a more measured view of conditions that could lead to new construction: data center demand, the proliferation of new reactor designs and start-ups, and the sudden ascendance of nuclear energy as the power source everyone wants—or wants to talk about.
Once built, large nuclear reactors can provide clean power for at least 80 years—outlasting 10 to 20 presidential administrations. Smaller reactors can provide heat and power outputs tailored to an end user’s needs. With all the new attention, are we any closer to getting past persistent supply chain and workforce issues and building these new plants? And what will the election of Donald Trump to a second term as president mean for nuclear?
As usual, there are more questions than answers, and most come down to money. Several developers are engaging with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission or have already applied for a license, certification, or permit. But designs without paying customers won’t get built. So where are the customers, and what will it take for them to commit?
A. F. Moscati, R. C. Erdmann
Nuclear Technology | Volume 22 | Number 2 | May 1974 | Pages 184-190
Technical Paper | Ocean—Nuclear Energy | doi.org/10.13182/NT74-A31401
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Ionizing radiation will have both somatic and genetic effects upon the exposed populations. Somatic changes, i.e., effects produced directly in the irradiated organism, will result in the death of the irradiated species by a variety of natural mechanisms. Genetic effects, however, are more subtle and may sometimes be viewed as beneficial; however, the benefits accruing to subsequent generations have yet to be demonstrated for marine species. Two models for predicting the impact of radioactivity in the food chain upon man are reviewed here: (a) the critical pathway concept, and (b) the specific activity approach. The specific activity method was used by Aten in 1961 to obtain estimates of the maximum permissible concentrations of biologically important radionuclides in seawater (MPC)s. In an accident situation involving the release of radioactivity from a light-water power reactor to the ocean, the most important radionuclides on the basis of the type of radiations emitted, quantity produced, half-life, and biological significance are the fission products 90Sr, 137Cs, 239Pu, and the activation products 65Zn, 54Fe, and 95Zr. The specific activity approach as applied to three classes of accidental radioactive releases to the sea can be used to determine the sensitive nuclide for each release and to estimate the relative degree of seriousness of each release by calculating the volume of seawater needed to dilute each spill to the (MPC)S of the critical nuclide. Estimates made for three types of accidental releases at sea yield the following data:
