Question

Radioactive pollution can be minimised by

• A. underground testing of nuclear weapons
• B. minimising radioactive leakage from nuclear reactors
• C. geological disposal of radioactive waste
• D. dumping radioactive wastes in water bodies

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (C)

The correct options are
A underground testing of nuclear weapons
B minimising radioactive leakage from nuclear reactors
C geological disposal of radioactive waste

Radioactive wastes contain radioactive materials that are hazardous to most forms of life and the environment. So preventive measures must be adopted to minimise radioactive pollution. Some of the measures that can be taken are:

• Testing of nuclear weapons should be done underground and not in the open atmosphere.
• When nuclear reactors are used to generate electricity, closed cycle cooling systems should be employed, so that no radiation leakage through coolant takes place.
• Radioactive wastes generated by nuclear reactors or from nuclear weapons programmes should be disposed in geologically stable underground deep mines to slowly reduce the radioactivity of the wastes.