This page discusses the March 28, 1979, partial meltdown at a nuclear power plant near Middleton, PA, which released radioactive gases but resulted in minimal health effects. Investigations led to imp...This page discusses the March 28, 1979, partial meltdown at a nuclear power plant near Middleton, PA, which released radioactive gases but resulted in minimal health effects. Investigations led to improved safety protocols. As of 2014, one reactor was permanently shut down. Nuclear power accounts for 19% of U.S. electricity generation, with significant contributions from coal and natural gas.
This page discusses uranium isotopes decaying into plutonium-239, utilized in nuclear weapons and reactors. Plutonium has a half-life of 24,100 years, leading to long-term contamination risks. The con...This page discusses uranium isotopes decaying into plutonium-239, utilized in nuclear weapons and reactors. Plutonium has a half-life of 24,100 years, leading to long-term contamination risks. The concept of half-life, which varies among isotopes, is essential for predicting radioactivity and managing radioactive materials and their environmental effects until they decay into stable products, such as lead from uranium.
