What would happen if you fell into a spent nuclear fuel pool?

Starts here4:10What If You Fell Into a Spent Nuclear Fuel Pool? – YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clip52 second suggested clipThese fuel rods are incredibly hot and if the water isn’t cycled out then it would heat upMoreThese fuel rods are incredibly hot and if the water isn’t cycled out then it would heat up significantly. And slowly evaporate over time resulting in you burning to a crisp.

Is spent fuel pool water radioactive?

If there is a prolonged interruption of cooling due to emergency situations, the water in the spent fuel pools may boil off, possibly resulting in radioactive elements being released into the atmosphere.

What would happen if you didn’t clean a nuclear fuel pool?

If you did, then you’d be in some serious trouble. Spent nuclear fuel pools are constantly cycling out water in order to keep it at a cool enough temperature. Remember these fuel rods are incredibly hot. And if the water isn’t cycled out, then it would heat up significantly and slowly evaporate over time.

What happens to spent nuclear fuel in nuclear reactors?

Spent fuel from nuclear reactors is highly radioactive. Water is good for both radiation shielding and cooling, so fuel is stored at the bottom of pools for a couple decades until it’s inert enough to be moved into dry casks. We haven’t really agreed on where to put those dry casks yet.

What happens if you fall in a spent fuel pool?

If you just fell in but stayed close to the top, then you would probably be quite alright. If you happen to be wearing cement shoes, when you fall in, then you might be in big trouble! The real trouble with the water in the spent fuel pool would be possible contamination from leaking fuel elements.

How dangerous is the radiation coming off nuclear fuel rods?

For the kinds of radiation coming off spent nuclear fuel, every 7 centimeters of water cuts the amount of radiation in half. The most highly radioactive fuel rods are those recently removed from a reactor. Based on the activity levels provided by Ontario Hydro in this report , this would be the region of danger for fresh fuel rods: