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Appendix D: Origin of Radioactivity in Nuclear Plants
Pages 347-350

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From page 347...
... 1 The terms nuclear power reactors and nuclear power plants refer to reactors that are used on a commercial basis to produce electricity. Such reactors typically generate on the order of 1000 megawatts of electrical power and 3000 megawatts of thermal power.
From page 348...
... SOURCE: Data fromFigure D.1.eps Joint Evaluated Fission and Fusion File, Incident neutron data, http://www-nds.iaea.org/exfor/endf00.htm, October 2, 2006; see http://www-nds.iaea.org/sgnucdat/c1.htm. • Alkali metals, for example, cesium-137.
From page 349...
... A decay reaction of particular importance in nuclear power reactors is the following: β− β− 238 U + 1 n → 239 U → 239 239 Np → PU 92 0 92 93 94 This reaction produces plutonium-239 by uranium-238 neutron capture followed by two beta decays. The particles and other radiation emitted during neutron capture can interact with atoms in the fuel, coolant, and reactor structures to produce additional radioactivity.


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