Scope

Radioactive pollution resulting from nuclear reactor emissions, and nuclear weapons production and testing is a controversial environmental and health issue. From Hiroshima to Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the dangers of radiation exposure have been studied and debated. The proposed nuclear waste storage facility in Yucca Mountain, Nevada is currently a hot topic in the United States. This Research Guide focuses on the health dangers associated with low-level radiation; radioactive pollutants of the air, soil and water; and radioactive waste disposal and storage. See also: Nuclear Proliferation guide.

Overview

Atomic Archive Glossary
An online glossary of terms associated with atomic energy.

Encyclopedia Americana
College Library Reference Collection: AE 5 E333 2001
Refer to:
"Nuclear Energy" in volume 20, pages 511-516.
"Radioactivity" in volume 23, pages 181-186.

Encyclopaedia Britannica Online 1992 (updated daily)
Britannica Online is a searchable collection of authoritative references, including Britannica's latest encyclopedia articles. Basic instructions for Encyclopædia Britannica Online

Environmental Encyclopedia
College Library Reference Collection: GE 10 E38 2003
Refer to "Radioactive pollution," or "Radioactive waste" in index, volume 2., page 1628

McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology
College Library Reference Collection: Q 121 M3 1997
Refer to "Radioactive Fallout" and "Radioactive Waste Management" in volume 15

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center 1990 - to date (updated daily)
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center (OVRC) includes the acclaimed social issues series published by Greenhaven Press, as well as core reference content from other Gale and Macmillan Reference USA sources and provides viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, primary documents, links to websites, and full-text magazine and newspaper articles.

Finding Journal and News Articles

Below are links to databases that cover this subject area. The truncation symbol for all of them is an asterisk (*) unless otherwise noted.

Sample searches for databases:

nuclear power plants
nuclear accidents
radioactive waste disposal and environment*
radioactive waste disposal and Nevada
radioactive substances and storage
nuclear reactors and accident*
plutonium and disposal
depleted uranium

Recommended Databases:

Academic Search 1984 - to date (updated daily)
This library database indexes approximately 3,100 popular magazines and academic journals and provides the full-text articles from approximately 1,000 journals. Basic instructions for Academic Search

CQ Researcher November 1991 - to date (updated weekly)
Contains weekly reports from Congressional Quarterly that cover the most current and controversial issues. Basic instructions for CQ Researcher

General Science Full Text 1984 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 150 popular and scholarly periodicals, as well as the Science section of the New York Times. Subjects include biology, chemistry, earth sciences, environment, nutrition, genetics, medicine and health. Basic instructions for General Science Full Text

ProQuest Research Library 1988 - to date (updated daily)
Indexes over 2,000 general-interest and academic journals. Nearly 1,000 periodicals are full-text. Dates vary, but many full-text journals go back to 1988. Basic instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Readers' Guide Full Text and Retrospective 1890 - to date (updated monthly)
Indexes 240 popular magazines in a wide range of subject areas. Full-text coverage of 131 titles begins with 1994. Basic instructions for Readers' Guide Full Text

More Databases:

Global NewsBank 1996 - to date (updated monthly)
Global NewsBank covers issues and events in Africa, Asia, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Pacific Rim, Central and South America and the Middle East. It is ideal for researching a wide variety of international developments related to politics, economics, science and business. The full-text news articles are from more than 1,500 international sources. Basic instructions for Global NewsBank

Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe Dates Vary (updated daily)
Contains the full-text articles from U.S. and international newspapers (including the New York Times, June 1980 - to date), as well as some news and business magazines and trade journals. The truncation symbol is an exclamation point (!). Basic instructions for Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe

Public Affairs Information Service (PAIS) 1972 - to date (updated quarterly)
Indexes journal articles, books, government documents, statistical compilations, committee reports, directories, serials, reports of public, intergovernmental and private organizations, and most other forms of printed literature from all over the world. The full-text of the articles is not available in the database. Basic instructions for PAIS

Finding Books

MadCat
Books on nuclear waste can be found in MadCat, the UW-Madison library catalog.

Sample keyword searches:

"radioactive pollution" and "united states"
"nuclear power plants" and environment?
"nuclear power plants" and accident?
"radioactive waste" and cleanup
Chernobyl
"Three Mile Island" and accident
http and "radioactive waste"

All of these searches can be limited to College Library to see available titles.

Internet Sites

Atomic Homepage
http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/neutronics/todd.html
This site about Nuclear Energy is authored by a Nuclear Engineering graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find a list of topical headings to browse.

The Bomb Project
http://www.firstpulseprojects.net/bombproject/Index.html
"The Bomb Project is a comprehensive on-line compendium of nuclear-related links, imagery and documentation. The Bomb Project has gathered together links to nuclear image archives (still and moving), historical documents, current news, NGOs and activist organizations as well as government labs and arms treaties."

Cleaning Up the Nuclear Weapons Complex: Internet Sources
http://www.rff.org/nuclearcleanup
This site is a directory of Internet resources that provides the user a fast way to locate research, policy analysis, and information about environmental issues at the nation’s former nuclear weapons production sites. The site is organized into the following four categories: Recommended Reading, Research and Stakeholder Organizations, Federal Government, News Sources and Periodicals.

GreenPeace - Nuclear Waste
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/nuclear
One of the campaigns of the organization GreenPeace is to end nuclear power, reprocessing and waste dumping. The site provides a general introduction and history of nuclear power, information on reprocessing, plutonium, disarmament, transport, waste, and accidents.

Meltdown at Three Mile Island
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/three
The Web site is a synopses of the film Meltdown at Three Mile Island (America's worst nuclear accident) that was aired on PBS. Here you will find transcripts from the film, special features, a timeline of nuclear technology, maps, people and events, and a teacher's guide.

Natural Resources Defense Council: The Bush Record - Nuclear Waste
http://www.nrdc.org/bushrecord/nuclear.asp
"The real story on this administration's dealings on environmental issues, from NRDC's scientists, lawyers and policy experts." Here you will find recent actions taken by the current administration related to Nuclear Waste. Find information under the following headings: Nuclear Arms Reduction, Nuclear Weapons Testing, Disposal of Nuclear Wastes, and Missile Defense.

Nuclear Tourist
http://www.nucleartourist.com
This site offers 300+ pages of information on nuclear power plants around the world. The site was designed and is maintained by an individual who has traveled to and worked at these plants over the last 30 years. Browse through the table of contents to find information such as nuclear power plant histories, designs and systems, locations, operations, photographs, pros and cons of nuclear power, and past disaster events.

Nuclear Waste
http://www.sierraclub.org/nuclearwaste
Provided by the Sierra Club, this site offers a general overview of nuclear waste, maps that illustrate radioactive waste transportation, radoactivity in the environment, weapons testing and sites where you can build your own environmental maps, news briefs, recommended reading, and links to other Web sites on the topic.

Nuclear Reaction: Why Do Americans Fear Nuclear Power?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/reaction
A Frontline film production, Nuclear Reaction is a public affairs documentary about nuclear power. The site has an online discussion forum, recommended readings, maps and charts, interviews, news, and other links.

Radioactive Waste
http://www.nrc.gov/waste.html
Information provided by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The Web site presents information about the NRC's regulations, responsibilities, and related information.

Radioactive Waste Disposal: an Environmental Perspective
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/radwaste/index.html
Sponsered by the Environmental Protection Agency, this site provides an introduction to the issue, explains the five types of radioactive waste, common questions, contains a glossary including a list of acronyms frequently associated with nuclear waste, information on radiation protection and laws the EPA uses for enforcement.

Remembering Nagasaki
http://www.exploratorium.edu/nagasaki
"In observance of the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Exploratorium presents the photographs of Japanese army photographer Yosuke Yamahata, along with a public forum on issues related to the atomic age." Although this exhibit at the Science Museum Exploratorium in San Francisco was in 1998, this Web site remains indefinitely.

Statistics

Statistical Universe 1973 - to date (updated monthly)
Contains the full text of more than 800 U.S. government statistical publications. Lexis-Nexis Statistical Universe is available to UW-Madison registered users.

Organizations

Citizen Alert
http://www.citizenalert.org
A grassroots environmental group based in the State of Nevada, providing education, advocacy, and empowerment to citizens on matters of environmental policy and environmental justice.

Council For a Livable World
http://www.clw.org
“The Council for a Livable World is among the nation's preeminent arms control organizations and focuses on halting the spread of weapons of mass destruction, opposing a national missile defense system, cutting Pentagon waste and reducing excessive arms exports. The Council is also a political lobby which endorses political candidates.”

The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
http://www.wagingpeace.org
The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation seeks to advance initiatives to eliminate nuclear weapons. Browse the "Issues" section to find information related to nuclear weapons abolition, and nuclear energy. The Web site also includes an excellent "Resources" section, where you will find extensive links to other organizations and Web sites dealing with the issues, newsletters, and articles.

Nuclear Energy Institute
http://www.nei.org
"NEI’s objective is to ensure the formation of policies that promote the beneficial uses of nuclear energy and technologies in the United States and around the world." Their membership includes companies that operate nuclear power plants, design and engineering firms, fuel suppliers and service companies, companies involved in nuclear medicine and nuclear industrial applications, radionuclide and radiopharmaceutical companies, universities and research laboratories, and labor unions

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
http://www.nrc.gov
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates U.S. commercial nuclear power plants and the civilian use of nuclear materials

World Nuclear Association
http://www.world-nuclear.org
”The World Nuclear Association is the global industrial organisation that seeks to promote the peaceful worldwide use of nuclear power as a sustainable energy resource for the coming centuries. Specifically, the WNA is concerned with nuclear power generation and all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, including mining, conversion, enrichment, fuel fabrication, plant manufacture, transport, and the safe disposition of spent fuel.”