Document Type
Master's Culminating Experience
Publication Date
2015
Abstract
Over the course of human history, man has tried to find an ultimate source of energy. Nuclear energy has been paramount to this sustainability. There have been over 420 nuclear related disasters since 1944 and preparedness has only marginally increased in response. This study examines the potential outfall of a major nuclear accident within the United States at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant. Using data from the incident that occurred in Fukushima, Japan in 2011, radiation plumes were plotted using HotSpot software over northern Ohio to examine the dispersion and concentration of radioactive particles and their potential health effects on the susceptible population. The affected area is just over 0.55 square miles, will have direct effects on approximately 157 citizens (not including emergency or plant workers), and will require the hospitalization of nearly 12 of them. While the research shows that actual victim numbers requiring hospitalization may be minimal compared to public perception, medical establishments, specifically hospitals, are ill-equipped to respond to the influx of individuals who believe they are or may have been victims.
Repository Citation
Jackson, M. A. (2015). Emergency Preparedness for a Radiological Disaster: Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant Release. Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
