Harm caused by nuclear waste water

The impact of nuclear wastewater on the environment includes: affecting marine ecosystem, causing water quality and marine pollution, and sediment causing environmental pollution.

1. Impact on marine ecosystem: Radioactive substances in nuclear wastewater may have an impact on marine ecosystem. This may lead to health problems of marine life, genetic variation, ecological chain interruption and ecosystem instability.

2. Causing water quality and marine pollution: The discharge of nuclear waste water may lead to radioactive pollution of water bodies and have a negative impact on the marine environment. This may have an impact on marine life and related fishery resources, and affect fisheries, aquaculture and seafood trade.

3. Environmental pollution of sediments: radioactive substances in nuclear sewage will accumulate on the seabed, causing long-term harm to marine ecosystem and health.

Introduction to nuclear wastewater

The treated nuclear waste water refers to the waste water generated in the normal daily activities of nuclear power plants, such as water used for cleaning, dust removal, seawater desalination, etc., or water used for cooling key components of nuclear power plants. This kind of water will not come into contact with radioactive materials in nuclear reactors and can be discharged through pipelines after strict treatment.

Nuclear wastewater mainly contains tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, and its half-life is 12.3 years. Although tritium has low radioactivity, it can combine with oxygen to form tritium oxide (heavy water), so it can enter organisms or the environment. Tritium also has certain effects on human body and environment, such as cell division and gene expression.

The above contents refer to Baidu Encyclopedia-Nuclear Wastewater.