Health Hazards and Nuclear Safety in Today’s Context

Abstract

Governments around the world are considering a range of waste management and disposal options, usually involving deep geologic placement, although there has been limited progress toward implementing long-term waste management solutions. As of October 2017 forty-eight nuclear power stations are in operation but, unfortunately, five major nuclear accidents have occurred in past. Our past experiences suggest that common issues were not necessarily physical health problems directed attributable to radiation exposure, but rather psychological and social effects. Additionally, there are concerns about developing countries rushing to join the so-called nuclear renaissance without the necessary infrastructure, personnel regulatory framework and safety culture. In the context, some countries with nuclear aspirations, like Nigeria, Kenya, Bangladesh and Venezuela, having no significant industrial experience pose a threat to human health and world peace / development. The present paper, it is hoped, would fill a gap and make help people understand the issue better and seek suitable remedies.

Keywords – Nuclear power, health hazards, nuclear waste, management and safety.