Radiation Detectors - Advice solicited

[Kennigit]

chernobyl was less of a freak accident and more of a "Hey let's purposefully do everything wrong, that'd be fun right guys?"

edit: also to stress the criticality of chernobyl design (graphite moderated). Besides, it's probably more likely for future plants to take SMR's (small modular reactors) to be stuck in the ground that shut down when things go out of control ("resistant to excursion").

 

[hobbsyoyo]

Yeah.
Although Chitlins and Formaldehyde don't live somewhere where that kind of thing is a pressing issue.

 

[Formaldehyde]

I guess it has to be said that out of the hundreds of nuclear power plants in the world, only a select few raise to the level of catastrophe or danger to life. The rest just work the way their supposed to and pose no significant threat to anyone. Also, Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima were freak accidents. Everyone's at risk for accidents 24/7 and if you live near a nuclear plant, a radiation detector really won't be of much help in a disaster of that magnitutde.

You don't need to have a detector to hear/read the radiation warnings and the orders to GTFO and vacate the area.

(Three Mile Island didn't release much, if any radiation, IIRC)

On the other hand, you could live next to a coal plant which is guaranteed to output more radiation than a nuclear plant ever will plus smog and other pollutants. You might find use for a radiation detector under such circumstances or if you live in an area prone to radon emissions.

Of course it will. Any advance notice you have that you are being exposed to fallout has to be considered to be a 'good thing'. But I would never live downwind of any nuclear power plant, radioactive material processing plant, or even a nuclear research facility. They are all subject to release of radiation given an accident. And in the case of Hanford it was surreptitiously done for decades on a regular basis with no warnings whatsoever.

There is nothing "freak" about having earthquakes along well-known fault lines. They happen all the time, and a number of nuclear power plants in the US could be just as affected by one.

When I worked at Oak Ridge National Lab, all the researchers had beeping dosimeters they kept in their breast pockets almost all the time. And every single employee had a film badge that was turned in once a week to catalog how much exposure you received.

What I don't understand is why you would ever feel the need to have a Geiger counter or similar device if you didn't live where you expected to be exposed to radation.

Why would you ever feel the need for a radiation detector if you lived downwind of a coal plant? The radiation emission is constant and doesn't change as long as it is in operation at maximum capacity. It is in direct proportion to the amount of coal that is burned. And there are far cheaper radon detectors on the market that will do a much better job. Test kits are even cheaper.

chernobyl was less of a freak accident and more of a "Hey let's purposefully do everything wrong, that'd be fun right guys?"

All nuclear power plants "purposefully" do things "wrong" so they can test that the emergency backup systems are operational.

 

[Chiteng]

assume for the moment that your on vacation in the mountains or by the beach away from any cities......

And something were to happen. Would you feel rather foolish if you had no way
to detect any danger?
I would.

Not unlike, putting some candles and a blanket in my car. Not because I need or
intend to use them. But I sure would feel dumb if I went into a ditch and was dying
from hypothermia. Prudence and caution are not quite paranoia

I had a co-worker lose all the toes on her left foot because she went into a ditch
during a blizzard. This was before cell phones.

 

[emzie]

Personally, I'd have no problem living downwind or downstream from a nuclear power plant. I'm not lying when I echo hobbsyoyo and say I'd be more concerned about living downwind from a coal plant.

Sure, if the worst thing happens at a coal plant, it's not as bad as a nuclear plant. But my average risk is higher with the coal.

 

[Kennigit]

All nuclear power plants "purposefully" do things "wrong" so they can test that the emergency backup systems are operational.

you know there is a difference between chernobyl and normal testing.......

 

[FriendlyFire]

Not unlike, putting some candles and a blanket in my car. Not because I need or
intend to use them.

Candles ? Why not one of those hand powered torches and a first aid kit ?
Ironic given that Republicans scored the notion of checking your car tires air pressure before a long trip.

 

[Formaldehyde]

you know there is a difference between chernobyl and normal testing.......

Good point. Only the the reactor operators at Chernobyl were "purposefully" negligent.