IAEA Workshop about Radioactivity in Scrap Metal Module
IAEA Workshop about Radioactivity in Scrap Metal Module 03 – HUMAN AND FINANCIAL IMPACTS IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency
This presentation describes some of the human and financial impacts of accidents that have resulted from the loss of control of radioactive sources and their subsequent presence in metal recycling industry IAEA 2
Harm to people and the environment • Sadly, there is a history of radiological accidents, including those associated with scrap • Details can be found at: • http: //www-pub. iaea. org/books/IAEABooks/Publications_on Accident_Response IAEA Tissue (deterministic) effects from radiation over exposure 3
The nature of harm from these incidents • Psychological harm • Anxiety may affect >100 k • Injuries – usually few to tens • Deaths – but usually few • Reputational harm • government, regulators, industry • Economic harm • trade blight: horticulture & tourism IAEA 4
Example of human and financial impacts – Mayapuri, India, 2010 • AECL Gammacell 220 irradiator • • owned by Delhi University erroneously auctioned as scrap. Lost from regulatory control Dismantled by scrap yard workers unaware of the hazard. Cobalt-60 source cut into pieces 8 people hospitalised; • one later died. IAEA 5
Example of local population impacts Goiania, Brazil, 1985 • Population affected 1 million • Persons monitored 112, 800 • Persons contaminated 271 • Clothes and shoes 120 • Skin & internally 151 • Radiation injuries 28 • Hospitalized 20 • Bone marrow depression 14 • Acute radiation syndrome 8 • Fatalities within 1 month 4 (IAEA Publication 815 1988) IAEA Aerial photo of persons awaiting radiation monitoring 6
Human and financial impacts Consider: • Extreme distress of families of the dead and injured; even the unaffected “worried well” • The cost of recovery – estimated at $15. 5 M at 1980 s prices • Political impacts – “how could they let this happen? ” • Economic consequences -10 years to recover from the effects IAEA 7
Social, economic & political impacts • Psycho-social stress has always been reported in communities affected by radiological accidents • Large numbers of people will need support • 100 000+ may need managing • Reassurance monitoring (thousands) • Health assessment (hundreds) • Hospital treatment for some (tens) IAEA 8
Social, economic & political impacts • Whatever the reality, incidents suggest to government and the public that the Regulatory Body has failed • Senior regulators are “at risk” • The media will ask: • “how could they let this happen? ” • Ministers will be seen to be accountable • Public inquiry etc. • “Trial by television” IAEA 9
Social, economic & political impacts “Blight” • To harm, spoil or destroy • E. g. a reputation • E. g. as a safe source of food or other products, or • As a tourist destination IAEA 10
An example of blight of tourism FMD report: Outbreak's economic impact • The 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic had a severe effect on both agriculture and the tourism industry. • A report by UK Countryside Agency said epidemic cost UK up to £ 4. 1 bn ($5. 8 bn). • Report also said more money lost to UK economy as a result of effect of outbreak on tourism than as a result of effect on agriculture. IAEA 11
Vulnerability of economies http: //www. coolgeography. co. uk/GCSE/AQA/Tourism%20 economy/Tourism%20 Economy. htm IAEA 12
The costs of investing in protection Equipment and installation: • Instruments costs $$$$ • Installation costs $$$ • Expertise (e. g IAEA) $ • Procedures $ • Training $ • Maintenance $$ IAEA • Note that some staff costs may be offset by adding new duties to staff who already know the business processes and are working on the site 13
The costs of monitoring and the costs of not monitoring Monitoring • Cost > $50, 000 for an installation like this • May need more than one • Insurance is rarely available to cover costs if a major incident happens • Insurance industry either won’t insure or premiums are unaffordable IAEA 14
The costs of monitoring and the costs of not monitoring Not Monitoring • Cost can vary from small and manageable to beyond the assets of the company • Depends on • The source • Difficulty of recovery • Cost of disposal Extreme costs likely to end viability of the business Costs likely to fall to the government (= tax payer) IAEA 15
The costs of accidents - direct and indirect IAEA 16
The potential costs of an incident • Global experience is that the costs of recovery from a radiological incident are rising • Cost can easily be more than the company affected can pay – bankruptcy • Who pays? Usually the government • Costs vary: $M to $10 M + ($100 M possible) IAEA 17
The Acerinox Incident (Spain) • In May of 1998, an unnoticed caesium-137 source was melted in an electric furnace of a stainless steel factory in Spain. The vapours were collected in a filter system, resulting in contamination of the collected dust, which was removed and sent to two factories for processing as a part of routine maintenance. IAEA 18
The Acerinox Incident (Spain) • One factory used the contaminated dust in a marsh stabilization process, resulting in contamination being spread throughout the marsh. The first warning of the event was from a gate monitor that alarmed on an empty truck returning from delivering the dust. Several days later elevated levels of caesium-137 were also detected in air samples in Southern France and Northern Italy. IAEA 19
The Acerinox Incident (Spain) • The radiological consequences of this event were minimal, with six people having slight levels of caesium-137 contamination. However, the economic, political and social consequences were significant. • The estimated total costs for clean-up, waste storage, and interruption of business exceeded $25 million US. IAEA 20
The effect of the media • Radiation is all around us, from natural sources • The media rarely understand about risk, dose or regulation • They DO recognise that there is a “good story” in anything to do with radiation • Rapidly and efficiently create stigma IAEA 21
Selectivity of media focus An example • Fukushima • 11 March 2011, a 9 -magnitude earthquake occurred off E coast of Japan, generating massive tsunamis: severely damaged coastal areas. • The earthquake and tsunami also hit NPPs located in coastal area in Tohoku • led to loss of entire cooling capacity of three reactors of Fukushima Daiichi NPP and severe damage to the nuclear cores. IAEA 22
Selectivity of media focus Fukushima • Direct health effects of radiation were relatively well controlled considering the severity of the accident • not only among emergency workers but also residents. • Other serious health issues include deaths during evacuation, increased mortality among displaced elderly people and public healthcare issues in Fukushima residents. IAEA 23
A valid comparison? • Not suggesting Fukushima is a direct analogy of sources in scrap metal! • But research shows that consequences of incidents involving radiation go much wider than the effects of radiation exposure. • And the media are a key factor – even in the case of radioactivity in scrap metal IAEA Newspaper coverage of discovery of 6 drums of uranium swarf in UK 1995 24
The effect of the media • The resources of the media today mean that any incident can be developed into a high profile, often global event • “Shock stories” sell • It is recognised to be ~10 times easier to scare people than reassure them (Kline 1977) IAEA 25
Summary • Harm to people and the environment • Social, economic & political consequences • The costs of investing in protection • Equipment and installation • Staffing – training and operations • The potential costs of an incident(s) • The effect of the media IAEA 26
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