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Although nuclear weapons may be the most well-known among the various nuclear applications, the atom has long been used for peaceful purposes, as well. Nuclear power is a common source of electricity in many countries around the world. Millions of radioactive sources are used every day for medical, industrial, agricultural, and other purposes. Preventing radiological terrorism does not mean eliminating all uses of the atom. Instead, recognizing security risks and increasing security measures will allow these peaceful and beneficial uses to continue.
As of the end of 2006, 442 commercial nuclear power reactors around the
world supply about 16 percent of the world's electricity. Some countries
rely heavily on nuclear energy. One example is France, where 79 percent
of the country's electrical power comes from its nuclear power plants.
The United States has the largest number of commercial nuclear reactors
with 103, but these generate only about 20 percent of the U.S.’s
electricity needs. Other countries, such as Mexico and South Africa, use
nuclear power as a smaller, supplemental energy source. Many have argued
that nuclear energy is more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel
energy sources because it releases very small amounts of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (which contribute to
global warming). (Fossil fuel generated electricity is often used to
enrich uranium to make nuclear fuel; thus, the nuclear fuel cycle emits
some greenhouse gases.) Nuclear energy does, however, result in highly
toxic radioactive waste for which there are currently no permanent
licensed disposal sites.
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Japanese nuclear power plant. |
How does nuclear energy work? Nuclear power plants function very much like non-nuclear power plants. The main difference is that the heat used to generate electricity is created through controlled nuclear reactions rather than from coal. The radioactive material and nuclear reactions are usually housed in a containment structure. Most containment structures have a number of safeguards and back-up systems to prevent radiation leakage in case of an accident or attack.
There are two primary security threats to operational nuclear power plants. One is the threat of outside terrorists attacking the plant with a large commercial airplane or truck bombs. The other threat is sabotage by an insider. The most dangerous possibility is when these two threats work together—insider knowledge combined with highly destructive outsiders.
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Smoke detector with americium. |
Preventing terrorist access to radioactive materials is difficult because these materials are widely used throughout the world. Radioactive sources can be thought of as "double-edged swords" because they can be dangerous when in the wrong hands, but have highly beneficial applications when safely, peacefully, and properly used. These materials are used everyday for peaceful purposes in the fields of medicine, industry, agriculture, and research. For example, tiny amounts of the radioactive material americium-241 can even be found in the smoke detectors located in many homes around the globe. This small quantity of radioactive material would not be harmful if used in an RDD. However, smoke detector factories may contain enough americium-241 to pose a security concern. The potential security threat posed by radioactive sources varies according to several factors, including the amount of radioactivity, the size and mass, and the availability of the material. This section of the tutorial will take a closer look at peaceful uses and security risks posed by various radioactive sources.
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