18 Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Fission

Nuclear fission is a reaction when the heavy nucleus splits spontaneously or when it impacts with another particle. This process creates a release of energy through the production of gamma photos. Most of these splits are called “binary” because it produces two charged fragments, but it a handful of events it can also produce three of them to create ternary fission.

The smallest of the fragments in the ternary fission range vary in size from a proton to an argon nucleus.

There is also a natural form of radioactive decay that is spontaneous, which means it doesn’t require a neutron to produce energy. It occurs in several very high-mass-number isotopes. The nuclear fission of heavy elements was initially discovered by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman in December 1938, while the spontaneous option was studied in Russia in the 1940s initially.

The amount of free energy contained in nuclear fuel is millions of times more than the amount contained in gasoline or similar options, which is why we continually evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this resource. Because it produces more radioactivity than the heavy elements that we use as fuel, we can also have a problem with waste once we produce the energy.

List of the Advantages of Nuclear Fission

1. Nuclear fission is one of the most cost-effective forms of energy we have today.
Over 10% of the energy that we use as humans comes from the nuclear fission process. Over 30 different countries use this form of power to create the electricity needed to manage the tasks of modern life. The stability of the energy that it produces makes it suitable for virtually all devices, while the transmission of it combines with what we receive from hydropower, renewables, and even coal-fired plants to provide a complete network of convenience for homes and businesses.

2. We can transmit the power from nuclear fission over long distances.
When we produce electricity from nuclear fission, then we have the ability to transmit it over long distances to ensure everyone can have access to the power they need. When using high-voltage direct current, studies from the 1980s found it was cost-efficient to send the power up to 4,300 miles away. If an alternating current were used instead, then it could go as far as 2,500 miles. Since almost all transmission lines are shorter than this, we have the ability to create electricity with this process to send it to almost anyone in the world today.

3. Nuclear fission creates fewer emissions than other energy resources.
Nuclear power reactors do not produce any direct carbon dioxide emissions that could contribute to the global warming effect on the planet. This process does not produce any form of air pollution while operating either. The primary adverse impact that it creates on the environment comes from the mining activities of uranium and the refining efforts needed to turn it into fuel. These tasks require a significant amount of energy.

Nuclear power plants also use extensive concrete and metal to keep people safe, which adds another energy element into the equation. When you compare all of these costs to what coal, natural gas, or oil require, it still comes out ahead as a clean fuel source to use.

4. The nuclear fission process can provide an extended-release of energy.
The energy from a nuclear fission reaction in a well-controlled environment can continually produce energy for up to 36 months. That makes it one of the most efficient methods of creating power that we can use for a variety of needs today.

Even when we look at the highly efficient processes surrounding a clean form of energy like natural gas, the advantage of nuclear fission is that it is 8,000 times more effective than its counterparts. Even with the various environmental expenses and risks that come with its use, this option is one of the most affordable ways to generate power today.

5. It provides us with a dependable energy resource.
The current nuclear power plants that are in operation today were initially designed to serve for up to 50 years. As our understanding of this technology grew and new resources and technologies developed, we discovered that it was possible to double this lifespan. When you add in the amount of uranium produced from mining efforts around the world, there is enough power for everyone to use thanks to this advantage. We also have the option to mine more and refine it for future use as needed.

Since the nuclear fission process can operate without stopping for a long time in any weather conditions, there are fewer interruptions that could become an inconvenience for homes and businesses around the world.

6. Nuclear fission has an exceptional density level.
The reason why societies look at the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear fission is that this energy resource provides a high concentration of power without the need for a lot of fuel. Its density level is one of the highest ever encountered when evaluating resources like this that are suitable for use in our communities. That means we don’t need much uranium to produce new energy, so the levels of hazardous waste that come from our power plants are minimal. The typical location will produce 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel per year, which means the entire industry generates approximately 2,300 metric tons annually that require storage.

7. Despite the threat of radiation, nuclear energy has the lowest annual mortality rate.
The word “radiation” scares a lot of people because we associate it with the atomic weapons dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Tens of thousands of people were killed instantly from that attack, with hundreds of thousands more suffering from cancer and other long-term impacts from their exposure to it. When we look at nuclear fission as an energy resource, the advantages of its safety must be brought into consideration. With only a few exceptions, the only recorded deaths due to nuclear power creation came from the Chernobyl incident.

When we look at coal, there are more than 170,000 people who die for each 1 trillion kilowatt-hours we produce. Even solar energy causes 440 deaths at that level of power creation, which is still five times higher than what occurs with this option.

8. The operational costs of nuclear fission are minimal.
Nuclear fission is one of the cheapest forms of energy production we have today because it can produce power for such a long time. Once the initial cost of a facility is resolved, the operating power plant is one of the least expensive forms of energy that we produce today. Although it doesn’t seem like $0.01 less per kilowatt-hour would be extensive savings, the difference for the average household in the United States is more than $9 per month.

If the average household uses 14,460 kilowatt-hours of energy each year, then that’s a savings of $144.60. When you multiply that figure by the 127.59 million households that consume energy, nuclear fission puts a lot of money back into the economy.

9. We can recycle some of the waste products from nuclear fission.
The fuel supply that we use for nuclear fission is finite, which puts this energy resource into the same category as a fossil fuel. Unlike coal, oil, or natural gas, we can use thorium to create fuel from the waste products that our energy generation activities create while providing the levels of electricity needed for daily living. This advantage gives us the potential to recycle fuels more often, creating a very high-density resource that can produce energy again even after we have already used it previously.

List of the Disadvantages of Nuclear Fission

1. Nuclear fission requires complicated security and safety features to be useful.
The primary fear that most people have when contemplating nuclear fission is the fact that an uncontrolled nuclear reaction in a reactor could result in widespread contamination. The impact of such an incident would foul the air and water supply for miles around the facility. The risk of this happening is small, especially in the United States, because of the presence of redundant barriers and diverse safety systems, there is a large area around a facility kept clear to ensure safety. Reactors in the U.S. use containment vessels to withstand earthquakes and extreme weather because of this disadvantage as well.

2. The processes of nuclear fission create radioactive waste.
The primary environmental concern that must be considered when looking at nuclear fission is the radioactive waste it produces. Spent reactor fuel, uranium mill tailings, and other items all contribute to this disadvantage. Some of the materials can remain dangerously radioactive to humans for up to 10,000 years, which is why there are specific regulations in place that govern how we transport, handle, store, and protect it over time.

Although an adequate storage facility will reduce the levels of radiation at a disposal site, the tools, clothes, and disposable items used to process the waste will become contaminated after handling, so there are special procedures in place to manage this problem too.

3. Spent nuclear reactors must go through a complete decommissioning process.
If a nuclear reactor stops operating for some reason, then it must go through a decommissioning process. This work involves the safe removal from service of all of the equipment that became radioactive. The goal of this effort is to reduce radioactivity levels enough the property or facility can be useful for other purposes in the future. There are specific rules that crews must follow because of this disadvantage, or the facility would need to be kept separate from human contact as we do with the waste that comes from the fission process.

4. There are multiple disposal issues to manage with nuclear fission.
The Government Accounting Office reports that there are over 90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste that require disposal right now. Americans produce more waste than any other country for their commercial power energy needs. The amount that requires storage would fill a standard gridiron football field to a depth of 60 feet. When you add in the nuclear weapons program funded by the United States, there’s another 14,000 metric tons of waste to consider.

The U.S. stores all of this waste at more than 80 different sites in 35 states at the moment. There is not an official disposal site for this material in the country either. The only potential option for long-term applications is Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but the license application has been a process that is more than 30 years in the making.

5. Even with the low risks of failure, nuclear fission can create devastating results.
The two primary incidents that involve radiation contamination from nuclear energy are Fukushima and Chernobyl. After the tsunami receded and workers could send underwater equipment to inspect the impacted reactor, researchers found that there was melted nuclear fuel up to three feet in thickness underneath the core of the containment vessel. This radiation exposure impacted the water and air, with some of the contamination following the ocean currents to impact the United States more than a year after the incident in Japan.

You can finally visit the abandoned areas around Chernobyl, but only on a guided tour. You’ll receive the same amount of radiation exposure that a transatlantic flight would generate. The region still has several hot spots that could be harmful, and you must wear long-sleeve tops, long pants, and closed shoes to ensure your safety. That’s how dangerous the science of nuclear fission can be several decades after an event.

6. The explosive output of nuclear fission can create mass casualties.
The weapons that were launched in war that contained nuclear fission technologies took the lives of over 200,000 people in less than a week. Those who survived the initial blast were hit with black rain or other forms of radioactive exposure that would eventually take their lives weeks, months, or sometimes years after the incident.

The United States commissioned a study through Princeton University in 1986 to determine what the fallout would be if industries or urban centers were targeted with a 100-kiloton nuclear bomb. This work determined that each incident had the capability of taking 10 million lives if an attack were launched at the United States. You can see what would happen near your home using this website: http://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/

7. The initial cost of nuclear fission as fuel is exceptionally high.
The price tag for a new nuclear power plant in the United States is about $10 billion right now. Although this resource would produce power for at least a century, it is usually up to the local government and utility to provide funding for the construction of new facilities. That’s why there are so few of them being built right now in the United States. When President Obama announced in 2010 a project that would create three new facilities, they would be the first new ones to come online in 30 years.

Even when the construction portion of the work is complete, it can still take several years to harness the power of nuclear fission. The Watts Bar plant took 17 years to complete, and it didn’t begin producing electricity for commercial purposes for six years after. The River Bend plan was built in 1977, but it didn’t go online until 1986.

8. Long-term exposure to the radiation from nuclear fission creates adverse health effects.
Exposure to ionizing radiation can damage a person’s genetic material. Human cells do a good job of repairing this damage, but it can create cancer or cause the cells to die if the repair work is not completed correctly. Acute skin burns and radiation sickness can occur in high doses, but the long-term impact includes cardiovascular disease and cancer. It takes more than 75 rad in a short time to produce acute radiation syndrome, but this issue is possible with the accidental handling or rupture of a radioactive resource.

9. The cleanup costs for nuclear energy are extensive.
If the Fukushima disaster ever goes through a formal cleanup process, the cost could be at least $100 billion. Greenpeace believes that the final tally could be well over $200 billion. Even the construction costs tend to be higher when looking to harness the power of nuclear fission, with every power plant under construction in the United States going over $1 billion over budget. This disadvantage puts us all in a position where we must decide to gamble everything on cheap power even though it isn’t sustainable.

Conclusion

Nuclear fission is one of the most important discoveries of the last century. It has led to the development of new energy infrastructures so that we can create a modern lifestyle. This process can reduce the number of emissions we generate for electricity while remaining affordable.

As with any technology, there is a threat that someone could turn the advantages of nuclear fission to disadvantages when serving their own selfish needs. The radioactive threat and explosive capacity of this energy can take as many lives as it can save.

This fuel might not be a renewable energy resource, but it does offer some potential for reuse in the future. If we can contain the threat of radioactivity and find a place to store spent fuel, then nuclear fission is a definite option to consider for our power in the future.