What are the downsides of thorium?

What are the downsides of thorium?

What are the downsides of Thorium?

• We don’t have as much experience with Th.
• Thorium fuel is a bit harder to prepare.
• Irradiated Thorium is more dangerously radioactive in the short term.
• Thorium doesn’t work as well as U-Pu in a fast reactor.

Why thorium reactors are not used?

Thorium cannot in itself power a reactor; unlike natural uranium, it does not contain enough fissile material to initiate a nuclear chain reaction. As a result it must first be bombarded with neutrons to produce the highly radioactive isotope uranium-233 – ‘so these are really U-233 reactors,’ says Karamoskos.

Why thorium is bad for the environment?

“Using thorium leads to highly radioactive nuclear waste and the risk of accidents will always be present.” The NRPA also asserts that thorium-based nuclear energy will produce long-lasting radioactive waste that will demand the same handling as highly radioactive waste from current nuclear reactors.

What are 3 negative things about nuclear energy?

Nuclear Energy Cons

• Expensive to Build. Despite being relatively inexpensive to operate, nuclear power plants are incredibly expensive to build—and the cost keeps rising.
• Accidents.
• Produces Radioactive Waste.
• Impact on the Environment.
• Security Threat.
• Limited Fuel Supply.

Does thorium produce waste?

Thorium is three times more abundant in nature than uranium. Compared to uranium reactors, thorium reactors produce far less waste and the waste that is generated is much less radioactive and much shorter-lived.

Is thorium a clean energy source?

Thorium is not strictly a renewable energy source. A large part of the heat generated in the earth’s core actually comes from nuclear processes involving thorium. But even if thorium is not renewable, it is estimated it to be 3-4 times more common than uranium.

Can thorium be weaponized?

Unlike the uranium commonly used to power nuclear reactors, thorium salts are protected against meltdowns and can’t be weaponized.

Is thorium safe to handle?

* Thorium Dioxide is a CARCINOGEN–HANDLE WITH EXTREME CAUTION. * Thorium Dioxide is broken down in the body into radioactive substances. * Thorium Dioxide may be contaminated with radioactive Thorium. This could contaminate work surfaces and provide an ongoing radiation hazard and increasing future risk of cancer.

Can thorium power the world?

Thorium is considered the “most abundant, most readily available, cleanest, and safest energy source on Earth”, adds science writer Richard Martin. Thorium is three times as abundant as uranium and nearly as abundant as lead and gallium in the Earth’s crust.

Why can thorium be weaponized?

Although some wonder if thorium can be used in nuclear weapons and are concerned about the possibility of a thorium bomb, thorium actually can’t be weaponized because it doesn’t produce enough recoverable plutonium, which is required for building nuclear weapons.