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Radioactive contamination facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Radioactive contamination happens when radioactive materials get into places where they shouldn't be, like the environment. These materials give off energy called radiation. Some radioactive materials stay dangerous for a very long time. This is because they have a long 'half-life,' which is the time it takes for half of their radioactivity to go away.

Hanford N Reactor adjusted
The Hanford site has two-thirds of the United States' high-level radioactive waste. Nuclear reactors line the riverbank at the Hanford Site along the Columbia River in January 1960.
Fukushima I by Digital Globe
As of 2013, the Fukushima nuclear disaster site was still very radioactive. About 160,000 people lived in temporary homes. Some land will be unfarmable for hundreds of years. The cleanup will take 40 or more years and cost billions of dollars.
Wfm sts overview
The Semipalatinsk Test Site (red area) is as big as Wales. The Soviet Union did 456 nuclear tests here from 1949 to 1989. They did not care much about the local people or environment. The full impact of radiation was hidden for many years. It only became known after the site closed in 1991.
Logo iso radiation
This 2007 symbol warns about radioactivity. The red background means urgent danger. It is for places where radioactive waste is stored for a very long time.

Nuclear power plants create radioactive materials. These are usually turned into 'radioactive waste.' This waste is safe if it's stored properly.

What Causes Radioactive Contamination?

Radioactive contamination can happen in a few ways:

  • Accidents at nuclear power plants can release radioactive materials.
  • Sometimes, accidents happen when radiation is used in medicine to treat illnesses.
  • Big explosions, like from nuclear bombs or accidents at nuclear sites, create 'nuclear fallout.' This is when tiny radioactive bits are spread by the wind and weather.
  • Processing nuclear materials can also make water radioactive.

Images for kids

  • NNSA-NSO-58

    Large industrial glovebox in the nuclear industry

  • Cosmos 954 - Recovery 001

    Geiger-Muller counters being used as gamma survey monitors, seeking radioactive satellite debris

  • TMI cleanup-2

    A clean-up crew working to remove radioactive contamination after the Three Mile Island accident.

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Contaminación radiactiva para niños

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Radioactive contamination Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.